A Fairy Tale
by heather5382
Summary: Five months after the fairy-war, and with not so much as a peep from the local supe community, Sookie receives a series of surprise parting gifts from Niall including a sword, a small fortune, and a seductive Irish tutor. Spoilers for all books.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first stab at writing and I would love to hear your thoughts! I've been playing around with this story for a while now and since I'm snowed in, I thought I'd try publishing it and see what you all think.

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

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**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 1 **

I wake up from a peaceful sleep to a sunny morning in my old family farmhouse. A peaceful sleep is a rare treat as I have been plagued with nightmares of my fairy kidnapping. I can hear Amelia bustling around the house cleaning the few specks of dust that must have settled in the past 24 hours since she last scoured the place. Since Trey's death, Amelia seems to need to fill every waking moment keeping busy somehow, which means her cleaning and cooking tirades have gotten even more ridiculous than normal. I know she doesn't blame me for what happened, I've heard her thoughts on this plenty over the past few months, but I can't help thinking that if it weren't for me, Trey would still be here and Amelia would be happier.

I sigh and drag myself into the bathroom to get ready for the day. After showering and dressing in my black pants and Merlotte's t-shirt, I head out to the kitchen to find some coffee.

"Morning, roomie!" Amelia calls as she flies up the stairs with a pile of cleaning supplies. "There's fresh coffee in the pot and warm muffins on the stove."

"Thanks Amelia!" I say back, but she's already on the second floor. I gather my breakfast and settle on the front porch with my current romance novel to enjoy the sunny morning before I have to head to work for the lunch shift. I flip my book open and start reading one of the good parts starring a gorgeous blond warrior who, of course, reminds me of a certain Viking. But as I'm reading I just get started thinking about the fact that I haven't seen hide nor hair of my own blond warrior in months.

In fact, the entire Supe world seems to be leaving me very much to myself lately. But, I reassure myself, everyone is just really busy right now. My Vampires are still dealing with the logistics of the takeover, all the Weres are settling into the changes from their great reveal, and of course the fairies are all locked up good and tight somewhere in the fae realm. I was surprised even Claude decided not to stay on this side of the portals, but without Claudine here anymore (wince) I suppose he would want to be with the rest of his family. Life has been kind of boring without all of the Supe activity I'd gotten so used to, but I have to say I don't miss the hospital trips. My wounds from my latest adventure with Thing One and Thing Two are finally healed, well the ones on the outside anyway, thanks to Eric's blood and Dr. Ludwig's magic. So I'm pretty much back to my old self again physically. I still can't bring myself to put on my Merlottes summer uniform though, and have been opting for my black pants instead of the little shorts – they just show more skin then I can handle right now. Mentally and emotionally, I'm still a total mess. For one I can't shake the guilt over Trey, Clancy, and Claudine's deaths, and even though Bill has finally recovered from the silver poisoning, he had months of suffering to go through and still isn't back to 100%. And it was all just to protect me! I've been dragged into vamp and were politics and taken my share of abuse because of it, but that hardly balances out the loss of three lives and Bill's months of suffering. And as if that guilt weren't bad enough, I selfishly can't stop thinking what Niall's parting words had meant. Which vampire? I've gone in circles about that one over and over and can't make any progress on it. Not that it much matters who Niall thinks loves me though, since I haven't spoken to Eric or Bill since shortly after my kidnapping.

I'm brought out of my thoughts when I notice the time and have to finish getting myself ready for work. I clean up my dishes in the kitchen, pack the muffins Amelia made this morning into a tin, and give the kitchen a quick wipe down, although I'm sure Amelia will give it her own thorough cleaning later anyway. I pull my hair into a ponytail, apply a bit of lip gloss and mascara, and head to Merlotte's.

I park in the employee lot and make my way to Sam's office to stash my purse and grab an apron. Sam's behind his desk scowling at a pile of papers, but he lifts his head and greets me with warm smile. "Hey, chere! It's been pretty quiet out there so I'm gonna stay here and get some work done. But let me know if it picks up."

"Sure thing, Sam." I check my ponytail in the mirror, tie on my apron, and head out front. The lunch shift ended up getting pretty busy so I had to call Sam out of his office after about an hour. I'm helping to train the new girl, Maddie, today and so far she's holding her own pretty well. Maddie is the third new waitress we've hired since Arlene quit, the other two just didn't seem to work out, and I'm hoping she sticks around. I can tell she's some type of shifter from her thought signature, but I haven't asked what she changes into. She's a sweet girl though and seems to know her way around a restaurant, so I like her so far. I'm just turning back to the kitchen to drop off some empty glasses when I catch someone's thoughts and it makes me stop dead in my tracks.

_Niall didn't really describe her well, I wonder which one she is. He said this was where she worked. _

I spin back around and scan the bar for the source of the thoughts, but it's like he sensed my mind touch his and turned his thoughts off. Who is this person that knows Niall? And is he looking for me? Fear grips me as I wonder if it's someone related to Dermot or Dermot himself, but I quickly dismiss the idea thinking Niall would never tell his enemy where I work. And Dermot already knows what I look like. Sam, noticing me standing there frozen and wide-eyed, grabs my arm and leans in whispering, "What is it, Sookie? Are you ok?"

"I don't know, Sam. I just heard someone thinking about Niall and how he said this was where "she" worked," I made little finger quotes in the air as I explained, "but I can't figure out who it was. His thoughts just cut off." Just then a beautiful man catches my eye as Maddie seats him in a booth in my section. He's about 6 feet tall with dark brown hair, a lithe build, and sun kissed skin. He's dressed in a pair of jeans and green t-shirt. Sam is saying something, but for the life of me I just can't hear him. He follows my gaze toward the strange man, and we both watch as Maddie makes her way toward us.

As she walks up, she asks Sam for an iced tea and turns to me, "Sookie, that man I just seated was asking for you so I sat him in your section. Do you know him? He sure is good looking," she winks at me and Sam rolls his eyes. "Should I bring him his tea or do you want to take it over to him?"

"I'll take it over, thanks Maddie," I reply straightening my ponytail. She smiles and leaves to check on her tables, so I grab the glass from Sam and start to head over, but Sam grabs my arm to stop me.

"Sookie do you know him? Is he the one you just heard?" Sam asks me with genuine concern in his voice.

"I don't know who he is, Sam. And I don't hear the thoughts anymore so I can't be sure. But if it is and he knows Niall and was told to find me here, I want to know why. It'll be ok, don't worry." Sam gives me a stern look but releases my arm, so I continue on to the mystery man's table feeling inexplicably giddy all of a sudden.

"Hi, I'm Sookie. Here's your iced-tea. Maddie said you were asking for me?" I ramble out in one breath with my perkiest voice and my crazy-Sookie smile plastered on my face.

The mystery man looks up at me and his slate grey eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles back. "Hello, Sookie. I'm Aiden. Your grandfather told me I should look you up when I got to the area," he replies with a slight Irish brogue, extending his hand in greeting. I drop my shields to probe his mind but I don't hear anything. Even when I reach out to return his handshake, the contact doesn't help. Huh, there's just nothing! I don't even get an impression of a mind at all. Not the void I usually sense with a vampire or the high pitched sound of a demon or the distinct feel of a fairy. It's like there's not even a person there in front of me. Aiden watches my smile falter and let's go of my hand. I quickly shake myself, put my smile back on, and reply, "It's nice to meet you, Aiden. How do you know my grandfather?"

"I only met him once a few months back and he asked me to come find you. He gave me this to give you when I got here."

Aiden hands me a thick ivory envelope with my name written in elegant script. I turn the envelope over in my hand to see Niall's unicorn wax seal holding the flap closed. I can smell the magic scent of my grandfather on the paper, and a wave of sadness washes over me as I think about my fae family. Niall left so suddenly I barely had time to say goodbye to him. And poor Claudine! Just thinking her name brings tears to my eyes. I blink them back and try to turn my attention back to Aiden.

Aiden is looking at me, he face full of concern and sympathy. He takes my free hand between his own large, strong hands, and I hear his thoughts once again.

_Sookie, I am so sorry for you losses. Niall told me what happened and I can't begin to imagine how hard it's all been for you. _

I gasp in shock as I realize this man was intentionally blocking and now projecting his thoughts to me. And not just that, but his thoughts feel like Barry's! Testing my theory, I think: _Aiden, you're a telepath too?_

_Yes, I am, and we have more in common than just that_.

I begin wondering why Niall would send this beautiful man to me, and what exactly he's told him about my losses. Was her referring to the loss of my parents, the horrors of the fairy war, Claudine's death, or the rest of my fae family leaving this realm? And what else could I possibly have in common with this guy?

"All of it, Sookie," Aiden speaks aloud in a soft voice, still holding my hand. "He told me all about you and what you've been through in your life. I would like the chance to tell you about myself, too. Please, read his letter and then get in touch with me if you would like to talk." He gives my hand a firm squeeze and I'm distracted by his touch. I look down at his hands holding mine and notice their rough feel against mine. His hands are large and strong like someone who does physical work, they make me think of Alcide, but he's not as warm as the Were, much closer to my own 98.6. I move my gaze back up to his face, taking in his muscular arms and broad shoulders on my way, finally noticing the smirk of his lips and the dimple on his cheek. He's a telepath for God's sake! Quickly, I pull my hand back and throw up my shields. Here I am mentally drooling over him and he can hear everything going through my mind! Blushing, I stuff the envelope in my apron and dig for my pen and notepad. Trying to recover myself, I go into waitress-autopilot saying, "So, uh, can I get you something to eat, then?"

With a slight chuckle, Aiden replies, "Thank you, I think I'll just finish my tea and be on my way. But please, call me so we can talk once you've read the letter." He takes the pen and pad from my hands, jots down his phone number for me, and hands them back.

I stash the pen and pad back in my apron and say, "Sure, I will. And thank you for delivering the letter to me." I turn on my heel and escape to check on my other tables. As I'm refilling everyone's drinks and wiping down my now vacant tables, I finally recover enough to chance looking back at his table. I glance over to see Aiden heading for the door. He turns back, gives me a polite nod and I hear:

_Goodbye, Sookie._

And then he's out the door.

I clear his empty glass, fold the money he left into my apron, and head back to the kitchen. Sam intercepts me, "Who was that, Sook? What did he want?"

Letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, I fill Sam in. "His name is Aiden. Niall sent him to meet me and deliver a letter." Unsure how much I should tell Sam, I leave out the part about the telepathy. "I'm not really sure what he wants though. I guess I'll know more once I read Niall's letter."

Sam gives me an appraising look then offers to cover my tables so I can take a break and read the letter. I thank Sam but tell him I'd rather just finish my shift and read it once I get home. I'd prefer to have some privacy when I figure out whatever my great-grandfather has to say to me in his letter.

"But if you don't mind I'll just run back and put this in my purse," I say, taking the envelope out of my apron. Sam gives me a nod, so I head back to stash the letter and Aiden's number in my purse. I return to my work and try my best to keep my mind on the task at hand until the shift is over.

The rest of the afternoon passes uneventfully, and soon the normal happy-hour crowd starts to show up as they're getting off work. Holly comes out of the office ready to take my place, so I fill her in on the tables she'll be taking over and head back to the office. I quickly ditch my apron and get my purse so I can get home. Waving goodbye to Sam, I leave out the employee exit.

I pull my car around to the back of my old farmhouse and see that Amelia's car is gone so I have the house to myself. I breathe a sigh of relief. I love Amelia and all, but I am thankful to have some privacy to get my head straight and read Niall's letter. I head inside and drop my purse on the kitchen table, fill the tea kettle and put it on the burner, then quickly run off to my room to change into some jeans and a comfy blue t-shirt before plunging into the letter. I fix my tea, grab a knife from the drawer, and settle down at the kitchen table, pulling the envelope out of my purse. I turn it over in my hands a few times taking a moment just to think about my great-grandfather. I use the knife to cut the seal off the envelope and pull the letter out. Taking a deep breath I begin to read:

_My Dearest Sookie,_

_ I am heartbroken that I have to leave you after us having only a short time together. There is so much more that I wanted to share with you and teach you, but I have realized that you will never be safe if my enemies can get to you, and the only way to keep them away is for us to all leave your world. I hope that someday you can forgive me for the horrors you have already suffered because of me and my kind. _

_ As soon as I laid eyes on you I knew you possessed the essential spark, and you will undoubtedly have many talents. I only wish I could be the one to help you discover them. But since I cannot be there to help you myself, I have been searching for someone who can teach you how to control your gift better, and perhaps teach you to harness the fae magic that you posses as well. My searching has led me to Aiden and he has agreed to come meet you. He can help you and teach you many things. You will find that you two have much in common. Please, trust him and give him a chance to show you what he knows. _

_I am also leaving you a few gifts that will be more useful to you than they will be to me since I am no longer in your world. Contact Mr. Cataliades and he will give you access to everything I have left you. I must tell you of one item in particular. I am giving you an ancient magical weapon, a sword, which is especially effective against the fae__. Tell Aiden about it, he will help you understand its power.__ I was unable to find Dermot before I sealed the portals and I fear he will come for you again. Be on your guard, and keep the sword close by in case you need to use it._

_ I wish there was more I could do for you, Dear One. I will always love you and will miss you more than you can imagine. Take care of yourself._

_With all my love,_

_Niall_

I read through the letter three times before I could put it down. As usual, my great-grandfather left me with more questions than he answered. I tried to put everything into perspective as I read and reread the letter. As much as Niall said, there were really only a few things I new for sure from his letter.

I knew that Aiden was trustworthy and would be able to answer some of the questions Niall had brought up. I would need to contact him soon so I could find out more about this fae magic I supposedly possessed. Aiden should be able to clear up whatever the sword business was as well.

I also knew that Niall had left me some gifts and I would need to contact Mr. Cataliades to find out more. The idea of seeing the demon lawyer again was unnerving. While I thought he was a good man, every time I had contact with him something awful seemed to happen- dead demons in my yard, the discovery of Bill's deceit, and the horrible events in Rhodes flashed through my mind. None of these events were Mr. Cataliades fault of course, but I couldn't help the sense of dread I suddenly felt at seeing the lawyer and throwing myself into the supe world again, wondering what would go wrong this time.

And finally, I knew that Dermot was definitely still at large and likely planning his next move. If the thought of seeing Mr. Cataliades gave me a sense of dread, the thought of seeing Dermot filled me with absolute horror. But all I can do is take my great-grandfathers advice and be on my guard until I clear the rest of these questions up.

Working out my mental to-do list, I decide to first call Mr. Cataliades and then call Aiden. I dig my phone out of my bag, scroll through my contacts to find the lawyer's number, and press send. Mr. Cataliades didn't answer so I left a short voice mail asking him to return my call.

Moving on to number two on my list, I pull Aiden's number out of my bag. As I begin punching in the numbers, I hear the crunch of gravel in my driveway and peak out the window to see Amelia's car pulling up next to mine. I decide to wait to make this phone call, so I close my phone and get up to pour myself a second cup of tea. Amelia comes into the kitchen and I offer to make her a cup too.

"Sure, thanks Sook," she replies. "So, how was your day? Pick up any good gossip at the bar?" she asks with a knowing smile on her face. I wonder exactly what she knows, but decide to stay out of her head and just play along.

"Oh you know, just the normal small town news..." I say and ramble off a few stories about the dull local happenings as I fix our tea. I grab our cups and turn to join her at the table.

"So are you going to tell me about Niall and this Aiden guy or are you just going to keep me in suspense?" she squeaks waving Niall's letter and Aiden's phone number at me. I just laugh, take my seat across from her, and recap my afternoon. She interrupts me when she notices me blushing to ask me what Aiden looks like, of course this just makes me blush even more. I try to describe him, but I'm sure I'm not doing him justice, and I finally admit, "The worst part is that I was admiring him a bit too much in my mind, and he's a telepath! He heard every thing I was thinking about him! I'm so embarrassed I don't know how I will be able to face him."

"Aw Sookie, now you know how the rest of us feel," she says and pats my hand. "I'm sure he didn't think much of it, I mean he has to be used to it, you know? Aren't you used to ignoring what people think about how you look?"

I'm not sure if that makes me feel better or worse exactly. It's true I tend to brush it off when I hear guys thinking about the curves the good lord gave me, but not before I put those guys in my own little mental compartment reserved for people I think are jerks. I cringe at the thought that Aiden would have a similar compartment that he just stuck me in. Sighing, I continue my story, eventually passing Niall's letter back to Amelia so she can read it for herself.

I keep quiet and let her read until she finally puts the letter down and looks at me. "Sookie what do you think? What does all of this mean?" she asks.

"Well, the only things I know for sure are that I need to contact Mr. Cataliades, which I did right before you got here. He didn't pick up though so I left a message. And I'm going to have to call Aiden to find out about most of the rest of the things he said." I swallowed and looked down at the letter again. "And I know that Dermot is still around and most likely coming for me," I finish, burring my face in my hands and I just can't hold back the tears this time.

Amelia comes around the table and wraps her arms around me. "It's ok, Sookie. It will be ok. This Aiden guys, he'll help you learn to protect yourself, and with the sword Niall left you I'm sure you'll get rid of that bastard Dermot once and for all." She lifts my face up to look at her and adds, wiggling her eyebrows, "And hey, if this Aiden is as cute as you say he is, maybe you'll get more than just a few magic lessons out it."

Well that brings me out of my pity party. I laugh and say, "Thanks Amelia." I make up my mind right then that I'm not going to be poor Sookie Stackhouse, victim of the supernatural world, anymore. "Your right, I need to learn what I can, protect myself as best I can, and just hope everything will be ok. I won't be caught off guard this time."

I wash out my cup, gather up my letter and Aiden's number, and head for my room saying, "I'm going to call him right now and find out when we can start."

Once in my room, I punch in the numbers before I lose my new found courage. Aiden answers on the second ring with that adorable Irish accent, "Hello?"

"Hi, Aiden, it's Sookie."

"Sookie, I'm so glad you decided to call. You read Niall's letter then?" He sounds genuinely pleased to hear from me.

"I did, although to be honest, it brought up more questions than it answered. It seems you'll be able to fill me in though?" I say with a bit of question in my tone.

With a laugh, Aiden responds, "Yeah, your grandfather left me with quite a few questions myself. I'm sure we can get some of that straightened out though. When would it be convenient for you to meet?"

"Well I have the day off tomorrow, would you want to come over sometime in the afternoon?"

"That sounds perfect," he replies and I proceed to give him directions to my house. We say our goodbyes and hang up.

Well, that went pretty smoothly. I head back out to the kitchen to fill Amelia in on my plans. She says she has some errands to run and she's going to head into Shreveport tomorrow afternoon so I can meet with Aiden alone. Amelia and I have a late dinner then I decide to just go to bed since I have a big day tomorrow. I toss and turn for a while, but eventually sleep pulls me under.


	2. Chapter 2

I have the first couple of chapters for this story written and I'll post them as I finish proofreading. I'd love to hear your feedback while I figure out where I'm taking this whole thing.

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

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**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 2**

I wake up the next morning to the sound of my phone ringing. I grab it from my night table and see that it's Mr. Cataliades and it's already 11:00. I finally fell asleep last night around one, but it was not a peaceful sleep. I keep waking up either from nightmares starring Dermot or dreams starring Aiden. I give myself a shake and try to clear the sleep from my voice before answering, "Hello, Mr. Cataliades."

"Good morning, Sookie. How are you?" He responds.

"Pretty good, thanks for returning my call so quickly."

"I assume you are calling about your inheritance from your great-grandfather?" he asks.

I go on to tell him about the letter Niall left me and ask what I'm supposed to do from here, and he tells me I will need to come to New Orleans. Great, I have so many wonderful memories of that city, I think bitterly.

"Would you be able to get some time off this weekend to come meet me? I could send a car for you on Friday, we can get everything squared away on Saturday, and you can be on your way back to Bon Temps by Sunday morning," he asks, seeming to pick up on my reluctance to spend much time in New Orleans.

I agree and he tells me a car will be here on Friday by 10 am. We say our good byes and hang up. Now I need to fill Sam in and get time off for the weekend. I find Sam's number in my phone and give him a call. He answers pleasantly, "Good morning, Sookie! What's up?"

"Hi, Sam." I cut right to the chase saying, "I hate to ask but I need to go to New Orleans this weekend and was wondering if I could switch some shifts around."

"New Orleans? What's this about, Sook? Your not getting yourself dragged into some Vamp bullshit are you?" Sam's a great friend, and he does always look out for me, but I'm starting to get sick of him constantly judging what I do. And besides, I still haven't heard a word from any of my vampires...

"No, no, nothing like that. It has to do with the letter I got from Niall." I fill Sam in on the contents of the letter, even telling him about Aiden and our meeting scheduled for this afternoon. He questions me a bit about meeting with Aiden on my own, but I reassure him that it will be fine.

"Well, lets see," I can hear him moving through the bar making his way to his office. "You're on the schedule for lunch Friday and dinner Saturday, but if you double up the next two days and take Holly and Maddie's shifts, I'm sure they'd cover for you."

"Oh thanks Sam, I'll call them right now and see if it's ok." I don't think Maddie and Holly will have a problem with switching. I've covered for Holly quite a few times over the past months; since my social life hasn't exactly been demanding it was never an issue for me. And as the new girl, I can't imagine Maddie giving me a hard time either.

"You be careful today, and call me if you need anything, ok?" Sam says.

"I will, Sam, thanks. See you tomorrow."

I call Maddie and Holly and get everything straightened out. As expected they were totally fine with it. Now that that's all taken care of, I hop out of bed and head for the shower to get ready for my day with Aiden. After much contemplation of what would be appropriate attire, I settle on a pair of low-rise jeans that hug my curves nicely and a pink, v-neck, t-shirt that shows off my assets without looking slutty. Ever since my kidnapping I can't bring myself to show much skin. I can barely see the scars anymore for the most part, but I knew they're there, especially on my legs. I cringe as I think about the pieces of flesh the fairies filleted from my legs. I pull myself together though and blow-dry my hair straight, apply a bit of makeup, and give myself a satisfied once-over, then head for the kitchen to get lunch ready for Aiden's arrival.

I find Amelia in the kitchen who informs me that she has prepared chicken salad sandwiches and a bowl a fruit for me and Aiden.

"Thanks, Amelia, you're the best!" I say. "I got a hold of Mr. Catalaides this morning and I'm going to New Orleans on Friday to meet with him."

Amelia absorbs that, and then tentatively asks, "Sookie, would you mind if I tag along? I haven't been to the city to check on my house in a while and I'd really like to see how things are going."

"Of course you can come! It would be nice to have the company. Mr. Catalaides is sending a car to pick me up at 10 on Friday morning and we'll be back sometime on Sunday."

A big smile stretches across Amelia' face and she beams, "Oh thanks Sookie! Hey, maybe we can even get out on the town a bit while we're there, have a little fun!" I haven't seen Amelia excited about anything other than her new vacuum in months, so I'm really happy about the idea of her going with me. I vow to myself that I'll forget about my worries of any bad things to come and try to make it a fun weekend with my friend. God knows we could both use something to cheer us up.

"That sounds great!" I say. "I'm just meeting with Mr. Cataliades on Saturday afternoon so we should definitely have some free time to get out and about."

"Great, well, I'm gonna run. Your beau should be here soon, right?" she asks with a wink.

I shake my head at her insinuation and say, "Yeah, he said he'd be here around 12:30. Thanks again for making lunch for us!" And with that we say goodbye and Amelia's off.

Not too long after she leaves, I hear Aiden's car crunching down my driveway. He's driving some sort of black SUV, which he parks in the front of the house, so I step out on the front porch to greet him. I'm once again stunned at how good-looking he is. He's dressed simply in a pair of jeans and a blue- grey t-shirt, which I notice matches his eyes perfectly. Before I get caught up in his appearance again, I reign in my thoughts and smile in greeting.

"Hi Aiden, no problem finding the place I guess?"

He smiles in return and climbs up the steps of the front porch, "Hey Sookie, nope no problem finding it. This is a great home you have here." He gives my house a long appraising glance as he approaches.

"Thanks," I say in return. "Come on in." I lead Aiden into the house through the family room and into the kitchen. I tell him to have a seat and pour us both some sweet tea. He begins asking me about myself, how long I've lived here, about my family, that sort of thing. I fill him in on my family - losing my parents and being raised by my Gran. I tell him a bit about Jason (not the werepanther part).

"So you don't have much family left in the area then?" I notice his voice has a sort of sad tone, but really I've never had much family to speak of so I try not to get too caught up in it.

"Well I don't have much family left period. Jason's really all I've got now that Niall and my cousin, Claude, are gone." I purposely leave Claudine out; talking about her would not help me keep my upbeat tone. I figure its best to turn the conversation to him, so I ask, "how about you? Tell me about your family and where you're from."

"I was born in Ireland but moved to the US when I was 8. My parents died when I was 2 and my Aunt Fina and Uncle Gavin raised me. They never had any children of their own, so my Aunt and Uncle are the only family I've ever really known. I have some relatives in Ireland still, but I haven't seen any of them since we moved," he tells me. I find that a little curious. Why would they leave their home and never return, not even a visit?

"You've never gone back to visit?" I ask.

"No, Aunt Fina didn't think it was safe for me in Ireland, so we never went back." Aiden seems to hesitate for a moment, and then goes on, "I should really start from the beginning I guess so you understand. My mother, Caera, was part fae. I don't really know how much because she never spoke of it to my Aunt Fina – she's my father's sister – and she didn't have any family that my Aunt and Uncle knew of. When I was 2, Aunt Fina was watching me one night while my parents were out. They were killed that night in a sudden landslide. It's not unheard of to have landslides in Ireland, especially in the East where we lived, but it was unusual for the time of year, so Aunt Fina went to the site the next day to do her own investigating. She's a powerful Celtic witch and when she got to the area she picked up on some strong fae magic. She knew then that the landslide wasn't a natural event and had been caused by the fae."

I couldn't believe what he was telling me. Aiden's parents were killed by fairies just like mine. I wonder if his parents' deaths were the result of Baendon's people too, if they spent their time taking out all of the part-fae families they could find? I didn't know the truth about how my parents died until Thing One and Thing Two were reminiscing about it during my kidnapping; I had always assumed it was just an accident. Based on what Aiden is saying, I wouldn't be surprised if there were more families out there who were torn apart by the fairies hatred of part-humans.

"Do you know who was responsible?" I ask.

"No, we never found out, but after that Aunt Fina was worried about the fae coming after me as well. When I got a little older and my telepathy was getting more noticeable to outsiders, she thought it best for us to leave in case they ever came back for me. That's why we moved to California. I never even met another fairy until I met your great-grandfather. My Aunt knew about them, they are prominent in Irish mythology and have a history in that area, so she figured we were less likely to be discovered if we moved to the US. So that's where I spent the rest of my life: on a beautiful ranch outside of Monterey."

"I just found out recently the truth about my parents' deaths," I explain. "We always thought it was an accident, a flash flood that their car got stuck in. But about five months ago, a group of fairies kidnapped me, and I overheard the two that had me talking about how they had killed my parents. They were water-fae and had the ability to control the river with they're magic." I shudder remembering the time of my kidnapping.

Aiden seems to notice my unease and he reaches across the table and places a hand over mine saying, "I'm so sorry about what happened to you. Niall told me what those two did; I can't even imagine the courage it must have taken you to get out of there alive. I can't change the past, but I can help you learn how to protect yourself so nothing like that will ever happen to you again," he says sincerely. The feel of his warm hand against mine is comforting, and sends little butterflies dancing around my stomach.

"Thank you, Aiden," I say and give him a smile, trying to pull myself back into the present. He slips his hand back to grab his glass. "About that, being able to help me, Niall said in his letter that you could teach me to use my fae magic, what sort of magic is that?" I ask.

He smiles back and stands up, "Let me show you" he says. I follow him into my family room where he stands in front of the fireplace. "You said the ones who kidnapped you were water-fae. We are all tied more strongly to one of the four natural elements: earth, wind, fire, or water. My tie is to fire," he explains with a gleam in his eye.

I watch as Aiden reaches his hands out in front of himself toward my fireplace. It's already set with logs and kindling, just waiting for the next cool day. He closes his eyes for a moment keeping his arms outstretched, and then suddenly the fire roars to life. I jump back, startled, and he turns and flashes me that crinkle-eyed smile.

"That's amazing!" I exclaim as Aiden walks back over to where I'm standing.

"I grew up around magic, and my Aunt trained me in Wicca, but I've always had an affinity toward fire. I can create fire and control it without any incantations. I imagine that is the fae in me," he explains. "Do you know which element your people are tied to?"

I think back to what Niall, Claude, and Claudine had told me in the past. "My great-grandfather said we were of the sky people. Niall means cloud and the rest of my family has sky names, too."

"Ah, then you must be tied to the air element. We'll have to do some experimenting to see what you will be able to do with that. I'll read up on it and see what I can come up with for you to try next time we get together." Aiden turns back to the fireplace holding up his hands again, and just as suddenly as it started, the fire is extinguished.

"I'll also be able to help you develop your telepathy more. Aunt Fina really embraced my ability and encouraged me to learn better control over it. I think I can help you to shield your thoughts better," he says and I blush remembering the embarrassing thoughts he overheard in Merlotte's. "Don't worry," he continues, looking in my eyes and smiling at me, "I've enjoyed everything I've heard so far."

That just makes me blush even deeper. I keep my shield in place and try to change the subject. "So, um, have you had lunch yet? Amelia made some chicken salad."

Aiden laughs and says, "That sounds great."

I lead him back into the kitchen, glad to have something to occupy myself, I start pulling out everything to put our lunch together. Aiden sits back down at the table and I say, "So tell me about your life in Monterey."

Aiden tells me that his Aunt runs a Wiccan store in Monterey, and she and his Uncle own a large ranch with horses and gardens where they grow herbs for her shop. Aiden has a house in the town and works at her shop as well, but his specialty is in crystals and gemstones.

"I always found them fascinating. So when I finished high school I went to the University of Calfornia and majored in geology. Now, I'm in charge of the crystals and gems for Aunt Fina's shop. I do the purchasing, and sometimes I travel to find specific pieces myself, and I do most of the carvings too."

When I finish getting our lunch together, I sit across from him again and we continue talking. I tell him about Bon Temps and all the local attractions, filling him in on some of the town's people and the local gossip. He tells me about his Aunt and Uncle's ranch and the beautiful seaside cliffs in Monterey. He's so easy to talk to, I feel instantly comfortable around him. Before we know it, a few hours have passed and we're still chatting when I hear Amelia's car approaching. She comes in the back door laden with bags from just about every shop in Shreveport.

"Hi, Amelia," I say jumping up to help her with her bags. "Looks like a pretty successful shopping day."

She laughs and says, "Yeah, I think I bought out half of Shreveport."

"Amelia, this is Aiden. Aiden, my roommate, Amelia," I introduce them as I stash some of the bags on the counter for her.

"Hi Aiden, it's great to meet you. I'm sorry to interrupt your afternoon," Amelia says, turning to me with an apologetic look.

"Nice to me you too, Amelia. Thanks for making us lunch, it was great," he responds politely.

"I was just going to make some tea," I say. "Why don't you sit down and join us?"

Amelia agrees so I get started setting up the kettle. Her and Aiden lapse into easy conversation which soon turns to the topic of magic. I sit and sort of half listen, feeling like they're speaking a foreign language. I start recapping my day, thinking about what a nice guy Aiden seems to be. He's so friendly and easy to talk to, and of course he's great looking. Ever since the day Bill Compton walked into Merlotte's I stopped thinking about the possibility of dating a normal human guy, but I can't help revisiting the idea after my day with Aiden. We've spent the whole day together and I haven't heard any of his thoughts. I've barely even had to think about keeping my shields up. I assume he's been blocking me like he did when we first met, so I decide to drop my shields and see if he is or not. I can hear Amelia's loud thoughts as usual; right now she's thinking about magic that I don't understand. From Aiden though, I don't hear anything. He seems to notice me trying though, and he catches my eye and gives me a quick wink. Just then, Amelia pulls me into the discussion.

"So what kind of abilities do you think Sookie might have?" Amelia asks. I'm curious about his answer myself, so I start paying closer attention.

"I'm not really sure yet. I think her affinity is to the air element though, so I plan to have her try some things out next time I'm here. I'm thinking she might be able to move objects, that sort of thing."

"Do you think she'll be able to poof?" Amelia asks excitedly.

Hmm, that would be pretty cool. I never thought I would be able to do anything like that. I look over at Aiden and he looks pretty lost. "Poof? What do you mean by that?" he asks.

"Oh, well her fairy relatives were able to 'poof' from place to place, you know like teleport," Amelia explains.

Aiden seems to take that in and says, "I don't know, I'll definitely look into it though. Do you practice much elemental magic, Amelia?" he asks, and they're off again.

After a while, the conversation seems to slow down, and Amelia announces, "Well, I'm gonna head upstairs and get these bags put away. It was nice talking with you, Aiden."

"You too, Amelia," he responds and Amelia gathers her day's spoils and leaves the room, but not before giving me a quick eyebrow wiggle.

"Your friend is a very enthusiastic witch," Aiden says, then adds, rubbing his temples, "and quite a loud thinker."

I laugh and agree with him on both accounts. "Amelia is seriously into her magic and is one of the loudest broadcasters I've encountered; my friend Barry and I would have rated her as a 10 on our scale."

Aiden freezes with his fingers still on his temples and gives me a wide-eyed look. "You have a friend who's a telepath?" he questions.

"Yes, he's the first telepath I ever met. I found him when I was doing some work for the area vampires. He worked at the hotel where we were staying in Dallas. Since then he's gone to work for the Texas vamps full time," I explain.

Aiden looks at me a bit uneasily, and then says, "Niall told me you were involved with some vampires. In fact he said you have a lot of supernatural friends. What sort of work do you do for them?"

"Well, I use my telepathy for them. It started when my ex-boyfriend, Bill, took me to a local vampire bar..." I tell him about my first job for Eric, then about Dallas, and finally Rhodes. When I mention the summit he interrupts me.

"I heard about that. You saved a lot of lives that day. I've always kept my telepathy a secret, it was really brave of you to put yourself out there like that," he says.

"Barry was with me in Rhodes, too. We were really afraid we would get discovered, but we just had to do something to help. We found that when we were in contact, it sort of magnified our ability and we were able to zero in on people much more easily then we could have on our own," I explain. "Someone from the FBI did come looking for me though, to try and get me to work for them. They identified me from a picture and tracked me down. They weren't able to find Barry though, and I haven't heard back from them since."

Aiden seems to digest that for a second and then says, "I'd really like to see what we can do with our telepathy if we work together. I think I will be able to show you a few things, but it sounds like you will be able to teach me a thing or two as well." He smiles then goes on, "I think I'd better call it a day now, though. We can get started on our experiments next time."

"Sure, thank you so much for coming over today, and for coming all the way from California just to help me," I say.

"I'm really happy that I did," he replies. "I had a great time today. I'm glad your grandfather found me and sent me to you."

Aiden gets up and takes his mug to the sink, and I walk him back to the front of the house. Once we're out on the front porch, he leans in and places a gentle kiss on my cheek, lingering there for a moment. He steps back and looks into my eyes saying, "I had a wonderful time today, Sookie."

His lips were soft and warm against my skin, and his gaze was mesmerizing. I felt a bit dazed, as if I'd been glamoured. It was ridiculous that such a small contact could affect me so much. But it had been so long since I'd been kissed by anyone in any way, and my body was tingling from the feeling, and wanting so much more. Before I could gather my thoughts and make any intelligent reply, his lips quirked up into a smile and he said, "Call me when you have time to get together again." Then he turned and headed for his car.

My mind caught up, finally, and I manage to say, "Goodbye, Aiden" just before he gets into his car.

I force myself into motion and walk back into my house. I close the door, and then slump against it letting out a sigh. Amelia just about flies down the steps toward me, grinning from ear to ear, she says, "Ok girl, now spill!"


	3. Chapter 3

So I have 5 Chapters already written and I just reread them all. Its kind of hard to pick out typos when you know what its supposed to say… but I hope they're not in too bad of shape. I'm posting them all now and will continue working on the 6th. Please let me know what you think!

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

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**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 3**

The next two days at work were busy, but relatively uneventful. The highlight of my days was on Thursday afternoon when Aiden stopped in.

I had left him a message the day before telling him of my work schedule and plan to go to New Orleans this weekend. I was busy running food to my tables when he came through the door. He didn't wait for a table though, just waved to me taking a seat at the bar. Sam got him a drink, and when I had a spare minute I went over to say hello.

"Hey Aiden, how are you?" I asked as I took a moment to appreciate the beautiful man in front of me. My shields were firmly in place since I was trying my best to block the thoughts of a few fellowship guys who had been sitting in my section for the past hour, so I wasn't worried about him overhearing anything and did a bit of mental oogling.

"Hi, Sookie. I got your message and figured since you were so working so much it might be easier just to stop in and see you," he said, returning my smile.

I reached for his glass and refilled his iced tea. "Yeah I had to pick up more shifts to cover for the time I'm taking off this weekend. It's been crazy busy here." I took a quick glance around at my tables, but it looked like everyone was ok for a minute or two.

"Well I don't want to keep you from your work. I was just wondering what time you'll be back on Sunday, I thought I might stop by."

I was really looking forward to getting started with whatever magic training Aiden had in mind for me, so I responded enthusiastically, "I should be leaving New Orleans first thing in the morning, so I'll be home sometime around 2-3 o'clock. I'd love to see you after that though."

"Oh, good! I've been reading up on air magic and I have some ideas for what we can try. I'm pretty anxious to get started. How about I plan to come by around 5?" I notice when he's excited his Irish accent gets more pronounced. It's such an adorable accent, I can't help but smile at him.

"That would be prefect!" I tell him. "Now I should really get back to my tables. Sorry I can't stay and chat."

"No, no you go on. I might just order some dinner while I'm here, but please, don't let me keep you."

Aiden hung around for about an hour after that, and I have to say his presence was distracting. I couldn't help myself from glancing over at him ever few minutes just to look at him. He was so cute sitting at the bar reading some book while he ate his dinner. Unfortunately, every other woman in the bar thought the same thing, very loudly and with more imagination then my relatively proper admirations. At one point, I almost dropped my tray when I heard Mrs. Fortenberry picturing Aiden naked. She has a very BIG imagination, if you know what I mean. That got me thinking about how gracious his plenty might be, but I quickly snapped myself out of it when I almost dumped my tray and got a stern look from Sam.

Once Aiden was gone and the night started winding down, I got my customary "be careful" speech from Sam. I reassured him that I would be traveling with Amelia and that we were staying in an all human hotel, so hopefully my supe interaction would be limited to the demon lawyer. I gave him a hug before I left and thanked him again for letting me switch up my schedule.

Once home, Amelia bombarded me with ideas about where we should go while in the city and asking for opinions on the outfits she was debating on whether or not to pack. I tried to be enthusiastic, but after working two double shifts I was exhausted, and I still needed to pack my own bags. We parted ways for the night and I got myself packed and ready for bed.

Now, it's Friday morning and we're all set to go, just waiting for our car. Amelia and I are chatting over our morning coffee when the limo rolls down my driveway. I instantly recognize our driver, Diantha, Mr. Catalaides' extravagant part-demon niece. She changed her hair color again; it is now a vivid pink and she's wearing matching hot pink striped stockings under a black tulle skirt – something like Madonna might have worn in the 80's. She's also wearing her customary converse, also pink, and neon green t-shirt.

"Hi, Diantha!" I call enthusiastically from the front porch.

"Howyadoin?" She calls back, walking to the porch in a few long strides. She offers to help me with my bags. I just have a duffle bag and my purse, but Amelia seems to have decided to bring lots of options for our weekend away, so Diantha helps her instead. Amelia gives her a curios look but thanks her for her help. We get ourselves settled into the limo and I lower the glass between the front and back compartments so I can talk to Dianthe.

"So, Diantha, tell me what's been happening. How are you and your uncle doing?"

"We'regoodyaknow. Sameolshit, differentday..." Diantha and I go into a pretty steady stream of conversation. I have to really pay attention to make sure I catch everything that flies out of her mouth in that jumbled way she talks. Amelia's obviously not following as she has a glazed-over look while staring out the car window. But I find myself interested when she mentions the new vamps in town. I haven't had much news about the new regime and I want to know what's been going on.

My ears perk up when she says that her uncle doesn't like them and wants to leave the city. So I ask, "Why doesn't he like them?"

"ThinksVictorsanasshole. He'salwaysineveryonesshit. ButyaknowfromEricright?" she says in one long stream, eyeing me through the rearview mirror.

At the mention of Eric, my heart sinks. _No, I don't know from Eric_, I think bitterly. I haven't heard a word from the big Viking in months! I press at the bond a bit to see what I can feel, but I just sense the background hum of his life that I've gotten so accustomed to. I can't feel anything specific from him, but am always a bit more at ease to just sense him. I turn my attention back to Diantha and say, "No, actually I haven't heard much from Eric in a while." I try to hide the forlorn tone in my voice, but Diantha seems to notice.

"Victor's REALLY watchin Eric," she replies slowly, for once annunciating each word, and gives me a significant look in the mirror.

"Should he be worried? Is Eric in some kind of trouble?" I ask, instantly concerned. All this time I've been busy getting angry over being ignored. I never really stopped to think about _why_ Eric was staying away from me and what he might be dealing with.

Diantha just shrugged her shoulders and said, "Ericssmart." And with that our conversation was abruptly over.

We spend the rest of the ride pretty much in silence. Amelia had dozed off and I am just thinking and looking out the window. I can't stop worrying about my vampires and what may be going on, but really, I'm so out of the loop at this point that I don't even know what I should be worrying about.

Soon enough we are in the city and pulling up to the Queen Anne Hotel in the Historic Garden district. We picked this place because it hasn't been remodeled to accommodate vampires, and I really have no desire to seen any of the Louisiana undead on this trip. It's a gorgeous old mansion from the late 1800's, and it's been renovated beautifully since Katrina. I take a second to appreciate the Victorian moldings and huge front porch and say goodbye to Dianthe before following Amelia inside. Amelia checks us in and we're shown to our rooms. We each have a gorgeous 4 poster, queen sized bed, and the elegant rooms have high ceilings and hard wood floors. We get ourselves settled in, and a few minutes later Mr. Catalaides is knocking on my door.

"Hello Sookie, my dear." He greets me warmly and I show him into my room.

"Hi Mr. Catalaides, thanks so much for sending Dianthe to pick us up."

"Oh, of course, she was very happy to come get you. Now, I just wanted to drop off a few things for you and set up a time to meet tomorrow." He gives me bank account and safe deposit box numbers, and directions to a restaurant a few blocks away. We plan to meet for lunch at 11:00 and then head over to the bank from there.

"I feel I should fill you in a bit before tomorrow. You great-grandfather has left you quite a bit of money, seeing as he has no use for it in the fairy realm. It is, of course, yours to do what you want with. But I would be careful not to draw too much attention to yourself." He gives me an appraising look and waits for me to respond.

I have never been a flashy person, but then again I've never really had the means to be. I wonder how much money he's talking about. I know Niall is very wealthy, but I can't imagine him leaving me a fortune. Even when I had extra money from my vampire jobs, I was always reasonable about how I spent it. I never have taken well even to accepting extravagant gifts, let alone buying myself extravagant things. I reassure Mr. Cataliades saying, "I appreciate your insight, but I have never been a showy person. I was raised to value the money I have and use it responsibly. I don't think you have to worry about me going on any mad spending sprees."

Mr. Cataliades smiles at me in approval, "I know you are an assiduous young woman, and have always been smart about your money. I have never thought you to be showy either; I just thought I should impress the point. The new regime is keeping a close eye on their area's entire repertoire, and they would surely notice if you happened to suddenly come in to money and will wonder about it. It would be safest for you to not draw attention to yourself or your new inheritance."

I think about what he said and know his warning is serious. I want to know what Diantha had meant earlier so I ask, "Mr. Catalaides, Diantha mentioned that you were unhappy with the new King's regime. She said that Victor is really keeping an eye on everyone, especially Eric. What is that all about?"

"Ah, yes, I am rather... unimpressed with the new King's methods. I was very fond of Sophie-Anne and do not think highly of a man who would exploit her moment of weakness, especially when the entire vampire population in this country was recovering from the events in Rhodes, and for Sophia-Anne, so soon after the Katrina crisis as well. But as much as I believe Felipe's methods to be uncouth, I find Victor to be detestable. As long as I have known him, he has been devious and underhanded, only looking to further his own position with very little loyalty to anyone. I don't believe he can be trusted, and would prefer to give him a wide berth. I have no desire to remain here and continue working for them, so I have been giving some thought to relocating to Texas and working instead for Stan."

"I know what you mean about Victor, he gives me the willies." I shudder thinking about the blatant lies he told from the front yard of my house, and his threats to many of the people that are dear to me. "And Felipe's proclamation of protection for me? It doesn't hold much water in my eyes. But Diantha specifically mentioned that Eric is really being watched in particular, why is that?"

"Well, being the only Sheriff left in place from Sophie-Anne's time, he would naturally keep a close eye on him. More than that though, I think Felipe, and especially Victor, are a bit afraid of Eric." He seems to take a moment to consider how he should explain, and then continues, "Eric is very old, and it is curious to many why he hasn't made an effort to obtain more power. He is well known as a fighter, and I think he was left in place to avoid that specific battle, but they are also afraid of the loyalty he instills in his underlings. If Eric ever decided to revolt against them, not only would they have a fierce warrior to combat, but he would have many followers who would support him, much more than those just in his little area."

"So, you think they are watching Eric so closely to see if he is planning a takeover of his own?" I try to think of Eric as King of Louisiana, and have very little trouble envisioning it. He has such a presence about him, he could easily take on the role of royalty – although I snickered a little to myself at the vision of Eric in his Fangtasia t-shirt, jeans, and a glimmering crown sitting on a thrown. And those who work for him do seem to actually like him. He commands respect, but is fair, and doesn't make unnecessary demands of his employees, as Felicia had told me. In the short time I have known him, I've seen many vampires express their loyalty to him, and he has been around for over a thousand years! I can't imagine how many others have been swept up in his charms and who would be willing to fight with him if it came down to it.

"Yes, I think part of it is watching for the threat of takeover. But I also think they are looking for a way to get rid of Eric without having to actually fight with him. I believe he is being watched very closely so that if he makes a wrong step, they can catch him in it, and bring him down judicially rather than violently."

At that I gasp, and Mr. Cataliades noticing my concern, says quickly, "But Eric is very smart, and he knows how to get what he wants while working within the system. Just look at the little vampire-marriage stunt he pulled to keep you safe!" He shakes his head, seemingly in admiration. "Victor was so angry when you presented Eric with that knife, effectively making you untouchable! Felipe was planning to use his formal protection of you, that you so aptly said holds no water, to get you into his grasp so he could 'protect' you himself while exploiting your gift whenever he wanted. But Eric saw that one coming, and took measures to ensure you would be able to stay safely in Bon Temps and away from Felipe's Kingdom in Nevada"

I take a moment to reminisce on my and Eric's little marriage. I was so pissed at him when I realized what he was doing, once again being high-handed and tricking me into a commitment with him. But once I knew what the King was planning, I have to say I sort of appreciate what Eric did. Of course, I would often prefer to have never helped Bill Compton when he walked into Merlotte's that night and instead stayed far, far away from all the vamp politics and some of the worst experiences of my life. But if that had been the case, I would not have met many of the people I now consider great friends. I wouldn't have met my fae family, or had many of the very fond memories of the last few years (a certain shower experience crept into my mind). Our marriage didn't seem to have any negative impact on my life either. It effectively kept me away from Felipe and didn't seem change my and Eric's relationship at all. I was almost bitter about the latter part of that. Indeed it did not seem to make Eric any more committed to me, as he was unable or unwilling to rescue me from Neave and Lochlan. I have yet to hear that explanation from dear husband. And aside from the one time after Bill and Quinn's fight, Eric and I hadn't even slept together since our "marriage."

Mr. Cataliades pulls me out of my reverie saying, "I know you have not always understood or appreciated the things Eric has done. But I know that he cares about you and holds you in high regard, I assure you everything he has done has been with your best interest in mind."

"Hah, yes, he holds me in such high regard that he has ignored me for months. I am sure he cares deeply about me when it suits him to do so." I can't help the animosity that seeps into my voice.

Mr. Catalaides seems to want to say more on the topic, but resigns himself, saying, "You will have to speak to Eric about your concerns and judge his actions yourself. I won't argue the point with you." He gives me a long look and continues, "I will be on my way now. I'll see you tomorrow at 11, my dear."

With that we both stand and I walk Mr. Catalaides to the door. I am feeling a little guilty for my outburst, so I say, "I appreciate you helping me with all of this. And I apologize for being sharp with you. It's been a difficult couple of months and I'm just feeling a little uninformed about everything."

Mr. Catalaides gives me a soft smile and says, "Sookie, you have been through so much in these past few years. I know it has not been easy for you, but you have always been able to plow though these arduous situations with poise and courage. You're an extraordinary young woman, keep your chin up and stay true to yourself, and I am sure you will get through it with your usual grace."

I can't help but smile back. "Thank you, Mr. Catalaides."

"See you tomorrow, Sookie."

As Mr. Catalaides leaves, I reflect on his kind words. I wonder what I can expect to endure next from the supe world, and whether or not I will be able to live up to the impression he seems to have of me.

Amelia comes by a few minutes later, and I fill her in on the plans for the next day. She decides to go to lunch with us and then see her house. She suggests a local restaurant to go to for dinner tonight and we get ourselves freshened up and head out. We linger for a while in the restaurant just chatting and I fill her in on Mr. Catalaides thoughts about the King and Victor's feelings toward Eric. She doesn't seem as shocked about the revelation as I was, and I say so.

"Well think about it, Sookie. How many thousand year old vampires do you know that are content just running a bar in a little corner of a Podunk town? It is odd that Eric doesn't try for a higher position, and I would expect the new King to worry about that, too." Amelia looks at me expectantly.

"Well, I don't know many thousand year old vampires at all to make a proper comparison. But I know what you mean. I guess I just never really thought about it before."

The rest of our evening passes uneventfully in casual conversation and we head back to the hotel to turn in for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

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**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 4**

I wake up on Saturday morning feeling un-rested from a series of nightmares. As usual, my dreams took place back in that little cabin with the fairy twins "enjoying" their time with me a bit too much. Only this time Eric, bound in silver, is thrown into the hut by a cackling Victor madden to endure torture right along with me. My heart is still pounding when I wake up with one last muffled scream in my pillow. I lay in bed for a few minutes, calming myself down and reasoning that it was only a dream. I eventually get myself composed enough to get in the shower and get ready for my meeting with Mr. Catalaides.

Amelia comes to my room just as I'm getting my shoes on, and we walk the couple of blocks together to the Commander's Palace for lunch. We arrive at the beautiful, blue and white, Victorian restaurant just a few minutes before eleven. As we approach the hostess stand I spot Mr. Catalaides at a table by the big windows overlooking Washington Ave. He stands to greet us and I introduce him to Amelia.

"Mr. Catalaides, this is my room-mate Amelia. She has a house here in New Orleans, and she came along with me to check on the renovations."

Mr. Catalaides extends his hand to Amelia saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Amelia. I believe I have worked with your father Copley a few times."

I catch Amelia's thoughts as she politely returns his greeting. _Of course he knows Dad. I can't go anywhere in New Orleans without running into someone who knows him. I sure don't miss this place much._

I give Amelia a sympathetic smile and we take our seats. We have a nice lunch, talking about the progress of restoring the city, and Amelia and Mr. Catalaides tell me about some of their favorite places and how much things have changed. My grilled pork and peach salad is delicious, and I enjoy listening to the two talk about their beloved city while I eat. Soon though we are finished up and parting ways as Amelia heads to her old home and Mr. Catalaides and I head for the bank.

A car picks us up out front since the bank is not all that close, and Mr. Catalaides checks with me to make sure I brought the paperwork along before we head off. We arrive at the bank and he hands me off to one of the bankers, Scott Johnson.

"Aren't you coming with me?" I question as Mr. Catalaides turns to head back the way we came.

"Oh, no, Sookie. I have made all of the arrangements for you to transfer the funds into your name. Now Mr. Johnson here will finalize the paperwork with you and show you to your safe deposit box. The contents of that are for your eyes, not mine, so I will give you some privacy. I'll just be in the lobby until you are finished."

I nod my understanding and follow Mr. Johnson to his office. He looks like your stereotypical accountant. I'm reminded of Stan and his vain attempt to capture this look for himself. Mr. Johnson has short, dark hair and is wearing a grey suite and dark rimmed glasses. He's plain looking, no real outstanding features. I give him a quick mental scan and find that his thoughts are consumed with his regret over the loss of business from transferring so much money from Niall's account to my Bon Temps bank. He gives me a pile of papers to sign, checks my ID and account numbers, and finally hands me a statement listing the transfer information. My eyes almost bug out of my head when I read the sum on the transfer. $850,000 has just been deposited into my bank account. I swallow the lump in my throat and meet Mr. Johnson's eyes.

"Are you sure this is correct?" I ask, hardly finding my voice.

Mr. Johnson raises his eyebrows and looks at me over his glasses, "I assure you it is quite correct. Your grandfather has requested that $850,000 be transferred to you now, and he has set up several other transfers to take place in later years, but wishes the amounts and dates to remain unknown at this time. You will be contacted in the future about the other transfers."

I take a deep breath and try to digest this information. I think back to Niall's letter, 'a few gifts' he had said. Hah! No wonder Mr. Catalaides was worried about me drawing attention to myself. I can't even imagine what I could buy with that kind of cash. I really can't comprehend having that much money to my name, so I decide to just push it aside to contemplate later.

I look back to Mr. Johnson and find that he is watching me expectantly. "Well, thank you, sir. Um, what's next then?"

"Next would be the safe deposit box." Mr. Johnson slides a key across his desk for me. "You are welcome to leave the contents here if you would like, we would be happy to put the box in your name as well. The entire contents have been signed over to you." He looks at me hopefully while I think about my answer.

I know one item in the box is going to be the sword Niall mentioned in the letter and he said I should keep it nearby. So I tell Mr. Johnson, "Thank you for the offer. But I don't live in New Orleans and will probably take the contents with me today and move them somewhere closer to my home."

Mr. Johnson looks disappointed but continues on, "Well then, here is the key, I will walk you down to the safe and leave you to check things over." He stands and I follow him down the hall to another portion of the bank. He signs us in and a security guard checks my ID before letting us pass. I'm shown to a small room with a table and chairs and I take a seat while the security guard leaves to retrieve the box for me.

While their gone I start imagining a troll guard making his way past a partially blind dragon to retrieve my safe and find myself laughing aloud at the absurdity. The guard comes in and gives me a look with one eyebrow arched questioningly, and I tamp down my laughter while he places the large safe on the table in front of me. Mr. Johnson says, "I will wait for you out by the security desk. When you are finished, you can bring any of the items you wish with you, but please let me know if you wish to leave anything behind so we can get your name on the account. I will take the key back when you are through." And with that, the two leave me alone with the rather intimidating task of discovering my grandfathers other 'gifts' for me.

My hands are shaking, so I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths to calm myself down before I unlock the safe.

The first thing I notice is a long, black velvet bundle that takes up the length of the box. It must be about two and a half feet long, and it is tied with gold colored cording. Assuming this must be the sword, I untie the cords to get a look at it. The handle of the sword sticks out about 7 inches from a black, leather sheath. The handle is made of a beautiful polished dark wood, almost black in color, inlaid with brass strips and a rounded brass guard. I carefully pull the handle to reveal a polished, iron blade about 20 inches long. It is narrow at the handle, about an inch and a half wide, and flares out into a double-edged leaf shape with a pointed tip and has a raised groove that runs down the center of the entire length. It is absolutely beautiful and completely frightening. I quickly replace the leather sheath and wrap it back in the velvet, tying it back in place. I will have to keep this to myself until I can ask Aiden about it. Niall had said he would be able to help me with it.

I move on to the next item in the box: another envelope with my grandfather's unicorn wax seal. I open it up to see the contents and find a short note in Niall's handwriting along with a certificate for a trust fund in Hunter Savoy's name. The note says:

_Sookie,_

_I hope you aren't upset, but when you asked me to find Remy Savoy I did a little investigating. When I discovered that I had yet another gifted relative in your world, I had to do something, so I set up a fund in his name. I assume you wanted to locate him so that you could be a part of Hunter's life, and I hope that when you see fit, you will tell him about me and pass my gift on to him. I have kept the knowledge of Hunter's existence completely to myself, so do not fear for his safety from my kind. However, there are others, as you are aware, who could be a danger to him. I would advise that you keep your relationship to him a secret for as long as possible, but look out for him as much as you can so he remains safe._

_With all my Love,_

_ Niall_

According to the certificate, the fund was in my name so that I could decide when the money should be transferred to Hunter, and I didn't see anything tying Niall to the money. I looked back over Niall's note and hesitated over the line 'gifted relative' for a moment. I already knew that Hunter was gifted in the telepathic sense, which supposedly had nothing to do with our fae blood (but I had my doubts about that). I wonder if Hunter also has the spark Niall mentioned that indicated my fairy-magic abilities? I'd have to think about that once Hunter got a little older. I was relieved to know, however, that I wouldn't have to worry about Dermott looking for Hunter since Niall kept his existence to himself. I would make sure not to draw any attention to Hunter, and not try to contact him again until I got the Dermott thing under control.

I return the papers to the envelope and stash them in my purse. I think it might look a little funny carrying a velvet wrapped sword through the bank, and luckily Niall must have thought the same thing because there is a rolled up duffel bag in the safe as well. I put away my sword, double check the safe for anything I may have missed, then close it up. Removing the key from the lock, I head back out to the security desk where Mr. Johnson is waiting for me.

I hand him the key saying, "Thank you for all of your help today. Is there anything else I need to do?"

Mr. Johnson takes the key and produces yet another form for me to sign. He explains that it is to verify that I have taken all of the contents of the safe with me. I sign off and follow him back to the lobby to find Mr. Catalaides.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Stackhouse," Mr. Johnsons says shaking my hand.

"Thanks again for your help, Mr. Johnson," I say and make my way out to the car with Mr. Catalaides.

As Mr. Catalaides opens the car door for me, he asks, "Well, my dear, did you get everything settled?"

After situating my bags and taking my seat I reply, "Yes, I did. Thank you again for getting everything set up for me. I see why you warned me to be careful about the spending. I have to say I'm still in shock about it."

Mr. Catalaides chuckles and slides in beside me. "Oh, yes, I must say it was a truly surprising amount that he left for you. But you're a smart girl, you'll spend it wisely. Although if I can give you a bit of advice?" He asks and I nod for him to continue. "I would suggest you break the money up a bit and invest it, rather than keeping it all in a savings account. I would be happy to recommend someone to help you if you like."

We spend the remainder of the drive discussing investment options and investors that Mr. Catalaides thinks would be good, and by the time we reach the hotel I am really overwhelmed and mentally exhausted. I thank Mr. Catalaides again and say goodbye, heading to my hotel room to take a nap.

Amelia wakes me up at about 3:00, knocking on my door. I let her in and ask about her house and how her day went.

"The house really looks great and it's completely livable now," She hesitates then says, "I'm not sure yet if I want to move back though, would it be ok if I stayed with you a while longer and make up my mind?

"Oh, of course, Amelia, you can stay as long as a want!"

"Thank you, Sookie!" she exclaims and gives me a big hug. "I just don't know if I'm ready to really make a move just yet, you know? With everything that's happened, I just don't think I could handle the loneliness of living back here on my own."

I give her another hug, telling her I understand, and she proceeds to ask me about my trip to the bank. I know Amelia has been given a lot of money from her father, so I'm not too embarrassed to tell her about the money I was left, but I decide to keep the bit about Hunter to myself. When I tell her the amount though, she whistles and says, "Wow, Sookie! I knew Niall had some loot, but that's just amazing! Oooh, we should celebrate and have a night on the town! I know this great restaurant we could go to for dinner, and there's a club a few block away, we could go dancing! Oh, but first we should hit the shopping district and buy some new outfits." I can hardly get a word in before she's trying to drag me out of the room.

"Wait, Amelia, I need to do something with this sword first. I can't just leave it lying around in my hotel room." That stops her in her tracks.

"I completely forgot about the sword! Let's have a look. Maybe I can put a ward on it to keep it safe for the night."

I show her the sword and she gasps, "Sookie, this sword has some seriously ancient magic in it. Did Niall leave you any more information about it?"

"No, there wasn't anything else at the bank about the sword. But Niall did say in his letter that Aiden would be able to help me with it, so I'll have to ask him about it tomorrow. Do you think you can ward it though?"

Amelia looks thoughtful for a moment and then says, "The magic on the sword is really powerful, I would be afraid to mess with it. But what if we put it in the closet and I ward that?"

I agree that it sounds like a good idea and we stash the sword in the closet. Amelia does her thing, and once she's satisfied we head out.

We take a cab out to do some shopping. I try to remember Mr. Catalaides advice and don't go crazy with the spending, but Amelia is a shopping force to be reckoned with. I buy a long black halter dress for tonight that shows off my assets in a respectable way, while still keeping m legs hidden so I'll feel comfortable. I find some new strappy heals, and a black beaded purse that matches the slight beading on the dress's neckline. I also splurge on some nice bra and panties sets, one to go with the halter top of the dress, and a few others just for fun. Amelia finds a gorgeous, short blue dress to wear out tonight, along with about 5 other outfits complete with matching shoes and accessories for each one. I shake my head at her when she dumps it all on the check out counter, but have to smile seeing my friend having such a good time.

We get ourselves dolled up back at the hotel and head out for dinner. The food is great, but I decide to eat a small meal since we're going dancing. Soon we're walking down the street to the club Amelia had suggested. When I walk in I notice quiet a few void spots indicating at least 8 vampires throughout the club, and a number of weres around as well. I try not to think too much of it and head to the bar to order a gin and tonic. We drink our drinks at the bar and scope out the dance floor for a while. Eventually I hear a song I just can't resist; Shakira is one of my all time favorites, and seriously, with all the were friends I've got how can I not dance to _She Wolf_? I grab Amelia's hand and pull her out to the dance floor.

We have a great time dancing, taking a few breaks to cool down and having a couple more drinks. I'm dancing to a Rihanna song when I sense I blank mind lingering behind me. I turn to see none other than Victor Madden standing at the edge of the dance floor watching me with all the creepiness I remember him possessing. He gives me a nod and his eyes scan me up and down which sends a shiver down my spine, and not the pleasant kind of a shiver the Viking usually induces for eyeing me up that way. I figure I pretty much have to talk to him, so I tell Amelia I'll be right back and head over to see what he wants.

"Well, hello Miss. Stackhouse, don't you look delectable," he says as I approach, dropping his fangs down.

I give him my best polite little head bow, which always feels awkward, and say, "Hello Mr. Madden. How are you doing?" As much as I dislike him, I'll still do Gran proud and show him my best southern manners.

He smirks at me, right, dumb question since vampires state of being really never changes. "I am well. And you?"

"I'm doing good, thanks," I reply.

"I'm glad to see you've recovered well from the whole fairy ordeal. I have to say I'm rather surprised to see you looking so good," at that he scans over me again. Then with narrowed eyes he continues, "Eric has been telling us what a difficult recovery you have been going through, and yet, here you are, looking very well indeed."

Shit! Why can't Eric keep me in the loop if he's feeding information about me to the head vamp honchos? I really hope I can get through this little interrogation without getting Eric into any trouble.

"Thank you, I am starting to finally feel better. It has been very difficult." I say hoping to convey a bit of misery, which isn't too hard to fake given my present situation.

"So what brings you to New Orleans? We didn't know you would be in town."

I figure I shouldn't say anything to him about Niall, so I revert to Amelia for an excuse. "Well my roommate, Amelia? You remember her I'm sure." I say gesturing to my friend lingering just behind me on the dance floor.

"Ah, of course, the clever young witch who warded your farmhouse." He barely glances at her and turns his attention back to me.

"Right, well Amelia has a home here in the city, and she wanted to come see how the renovations were going, so I came along to keep her company. She thought we needed a fun night out after the difficult months we've both had, so we came here. We're heading back tomorrow though." I sincerely hoped that would be a good enough reason to visit the city, and hoped he didn't ask about our ride here.

"And her house is coming along nicely I hope? Her father has been very helpful in some of the renovations to the royal properties."

"Oh yes, it's all finished and ready to be lived in again. But Amelia's not sure when she'll be moving back. She's been really great keeping me company and taking care of me, these last few months especially, so I'd hate to see her go." I try to play up my recovery as much as possible to cover for Eric, although really it has been a very tough few months and this morning's nightmare is a reminder that I'm really not over everything yet.

Victor absorbs that but makes no real comment, instead changing the subject he says, "Well it is convenient to have run in to you. I've been asking Eric about using your services for a while now but he keeps putting off an answer due to your recovery." Victor evaluates me for a moment and I start getting a little nervous, but he continues, "The King is planning a kingdom-wide summit next month for all of the sheriffs in his three states. He would like for you to be present as there will be a number of humans involved as well. Will you being feeling up to par by then?"

I have to be careful in how I answer. I don't want to agree to anything without talking to Eric first, so I tell him as much. "I will have to speak with Eric and get back to you with my answer." I give him a little nod/bow for good measure, and receive a creepy-Victor smirk for my efforts.

"Very well. And is Eric not with you this weekend? Has he let you travel all this way alone?"

Gulp. Not sure what the correct answer for that one is, so I decide to go with a vague answer, "Oh, no Eric's not with me, but I didn't travel all alone, of course."

"You seem to be without an escort tonight, though. Please, allow me to leave someone to watch over you and deliver you safely back to your hotel."

I cut him off saying, "Thank you, but really it's not necessary. We'll be just fine."

"Nonsense, you are under our formal protection, I can't have you running around the city on your own. I will assure your safety for tonight, I insist." He says it in such a way that I knew better than to argue any more. So I squeak out another polite thank you.

"Your very welcome. Enjoy the rest of your evening." He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles, lingering a moment to inhale my sent, before turning to leave. Amelia immediately comes over and spins me around to face her.

"Sookie, are you ok? What did he want? I just couldn't tell if I should come over or not, you said to..." I quickly cut her off from worrying any longer.

"Amelia, it's ok, really. Everything's fine. I'll explain more later, but I should tell you, Victor is leaving one of his vamps behind to escort us back to the hotel tonight. I seriously hope it's not someone really creepy." I tell her, and suddenly I hear a familiar voice behind me say, "I seriously hope you don't consider _me_ creepy, Sookie."

I spin around to see the smiling face of Rasul, one of the few vampires left alive - well undead - in the city after the takeover. I don't even try to hide my relief as I exclaim, "Rasul! Oh of course I don't think you're creepy! It's great to see you again!" I'm so excited to see a friendly vampire face after so many months, that I have to reel it in a bit to keep from throwing my arms around him for a hug.

Rasul just laughs and takes my hand to give it a quick peck, saying "It's a pleasure to see you again as well. You look beautiful as always." He turns to Amelia and says, "And I believe I remember this lovely lady from your cousin Hadley's apartment?" Ah, that flawless vampire recall.

"Yes, Rasul this is my friend, Amelia."

He nods to Amelia, and then wraps one of his arms in each of ours asking, "So ladies, shall we continue with your evening plans? Would you like more drinks or we could continue with the dancing? I was quite enjoying the show tonight," he says with a wink.

"Oh, you." I say giving him a playful slap on the arm. We decide to sit and have another drink, by which time Amelia seems a bit more at ease and suggests one more dance before heading back to the hotel. I have a really fun time with the two of them, and Rasul is as charming as ever. He hails us a cab and 'delivers us safely back to our hotel.'

"Thanks for escorting us back tonight, Rasul. It was really nice seeing you again." I say as we make our way to the hotel entrance.

"The pleasure was all mine ladies. Have a safe trip back home." He gives us each a kiss on the hand, and we head in to the hotel.

Despite my nap this afternoon, I am completely exhausted from the stress of the day, my encounter with Victor, and all of the shopping and dancing. I say good night to Amelia and quickly get ready for bed. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow without even having a chance to dwell on any negative repercussions to my little chat with Victor. There will undoubtedly be plenty of time to think about that tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

* * *

**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 5**

The ride home from New Orleans on Sunday went by quickly. Diantha was our driver again, and she and Amelia seemed content to travel in relative silence, which was good since I was pretty much lost in thought the whole time about everything I had learned over the past 48 hours. I tried to wrap my mind around it all and figure out my course of action. I was mostly worried about Eric but unsure about how to approach the situation. I knew I needed to talk to him about my conversation with Victor, but I was hesitant to just call him or to show up at Fangtasia to talk, my annoyance and hurt feelings over not hearing from him in months was plaguing me. But with everything Mr. Catalaides had said, I was pretty concerned about getting him into any trouble. I resolved to call him that night once Aiden left.

Thinking about Aiden gave me a little jolt of excitement. I couldn't wait to see what he came up with for me to start working on, and I was anxious to hear what he had to say about the sword. Amelia had successfully un-warded the closet this morning so that I could bring it home. She said that sword had ancient magic, and Niall mentioned that it was very powerful against the fae, so I considered what it might be able to do. It just looked like a regular sword to me though, and I wasn't coming up with any plausible ideas.

We made good time getting back to Bon Temps, and once there Diantha helped us bring our bags in. Amelia's luggage had doubled with all of her shopping, and I had accumulated a bit extra myself. Once we got everything settled in the house, I walked Diantha out and thanked her for driving us.

Now, I'm anxiously awaiting five o'clock when Aiden is supposed to arrive. I put a casserole in the oven and am preparing a salad for us. I'm just getting everything finished up and taking a peak at the casserole, when I hear Aiden pulling up outside. I check my reflection in the mirror as I head to the front door to let Aiden in.

I open the door and take in the sight of him. Clad in jeans and a t-shirt again, I notice his skin is a bit sunburned on his cheekbones and it makes his grey eyes stand out even more. He flashes me a brilliant smile and places a quick kiss on my cheek saying, "Hi Sookie, how was your trip?"

"Oh, it was good. Short, but surprisingly eventful. Come on in though, I was just getting dinner together." I lead him into the kitchen and offer him a glass of tea while I check on our dinner. "So how was your weekend?"

"It was good; I spent most of it sitting outside the hotel reading up on Wiccan elemental magic. I think I've found a few things we can try out. I called Aunt Fina too and she's sending me a few books to look over about fae magic"

It dawned on me that I never asked about where he was staying while in town. I don't know how long he's planning to stay, but I feel a little bad that he's been in a hotel all week. It seems a little much to offer him a place in my house, but I want to make sure he's comfortable. I think back to my temporary stay in Sam's duplex property and decide to offer it as a possible option.

"You know, my boss, Sam, owns a few properties in town. He rented one out to me while my house was repaired from a fire. If you want I could ask him if he has a place available so you don't have to stay in the hotel while your here. How long are you planning to stay in town anyway?"

Aiden seems to ponder that for a second and then says, "Well, I don't really have a timeline in mind. I figured I'd stay as long as it takes to teach you what I know about telepathy and fae magic. But it would be nice to have a kitchen while I'm here, so if you could ask your boss that would be great."

"I'll ask Sam when I go into work tomorrow. But now I want to show you something that Niall left me. He said in his letter that you might be able to tell me something about it. If you'll just excuse me for a second I'll go get it." Aiden stands as I get up from the table - such a gentleman - and I quickly retrieve the sword.

I return and lay the velvet bundle on the kitchen table and unwrap it. Aiden's eyes go wide when he sees the handle of the sword, and he looks at me with raised eyebrows, "Sookie, do you know what this is?"

"No, not really. All Niall said in the letter was that it's an ancient magical weapon that can be used against the fae. It's iron, right? I imagine that makes it pretty effective at killing fairies." I wince thinking about just how effective my iron trowel was at killing Murry.

Aiden inspects the handle thoroughly then reaches to pick it up, "May I?" he asks and I nod for him to do as he wishes. He carefully lifts the sword and slides off the leather sheath, taking in the tapered blade and testing the weight of it in his hand. After a few minutes of assessing the sword, he puts it back in its protective covering and lays it back on the table.

Finally Aiden answers my question. "Yes, it is made from iron but that's not the only reason it's so effective against the fae. If I'm not mistaken this is the Sword of Light of Nuada, from the time of the Tuathe de Danann."

He says this with such reverence, and I search my memory for any mention of the names I may have heard before. The Tuathe de Danann sounds somehow familiar but I can't recall what it is, and I don't recognize the name "sword of light" from anywhere. So I go on, "Aiden, I don't know what that means. What do you know about it?"

The buzzer on the oven cuts us off, so I turn to take care of dinner while Aiden wraps the sword back up and clears off the table. I set out our meal and fill our wine glasses, and once we're settled in I ask again. "Aiden, what can you tell me about the sword?"

"The Sword of Light once belonged to King Nauda, the first king of the Tuathe de Danann. They were considered to be beautiful and powerful, godlike beings that traveled to Ireland on dark clouds. Nauda tried to negotiate for land with the Fir Bolg, the current occupants of Ireland, but was unsuccessful, so they fought in what has been called the First Battle of Magh Tuiredh. The Tuathe de won the battle and took over Ireland. Nauda was later killed in the Second Battle against the Fomorians by King Balor, but Balor was killed by Lugh of the Tuathe de and so they continued their reign of Ireland for a time. A third battle was later fought against the invading Milesians, and the Tuathe de were finally defeated. The country was divided between the remaining Tuathe de and the Milesians, but the Tuthe de were given the underground Sidhe mounds and the Milesians were given the above ground portion." He stops speaking and I try to dissect everything I am hearing.

The term Sidhe sounds familiar to me, and once I realize why, I interject. "Aiden, the Sidhe, I've heard the fairy realm referred to as that. Do they Tuathe de have something to do with the fairies?"

Aiden smiles at my understanding and says, "Yes, they absolutely do. The mythology continues, referring to the Sidhe mounds as the Otherworld, or as you call it, the fairy realm. Of course, we know the mythology gets a little wacky at some point and begins describing fairies as tiny pixies that linger in gardens and sit on mushrooms living in small mounds of earth." He laughs a little but goes on, "but if you know the truth about what fairies really are, than the original description of the Tuathe de as beautiful and powerful beings seems more accurate than the Tinker Bell portrayal."

I nod my agreement but ask, "So, if this King Nauda is one of the Tuathe de, and apparently one of the original fairies, what special powers does his sword have?"

"King Nauda's sword is one of the four treasures of the Tuathe de. Each treasure is said to have come from one of the four northern islands, and each is instilled with certain powers. There is Dagda's Cauldron from the island Murias which it's said will never leave anyone hungry. The Spear of Lugh from Gurias in which no battle was sustained against the one who held it. The Stone of Fal from Falias cries out only to the rightful kind of Ireland. And the Sword of Light from Findias, once unsheathed, no one can escape from the one who wields it."

I glance over to my sword and was in awe of the history behind it. Amelia had said it possessed ancient magic, but I had no idea it was _that_ ancient. As I contemplate the usefulness of such a weapon, Aiden goes on.

"Here is where the mythology crosses over with some of this elemental magic I've been telling you about. Each of the four northern islands is associated with one of the elements, and the King from each island - along with his modern descendants - has an affinity toward that element. Can you guess which element King Nauda was tied to?"

I gasp as all of the pieces fit together in my mind. My grandfather, the _Prince_, is a descendant of King Nauda of the island Findias. His bloodline, my bloodline, is tied to that island, and two the air element. Eyes wide, I look up at Aiden and see him smiling back at me. Without having to speak my train of thought aloud he knows I've caught on.

"So you see Sookie, you have the essential spark that allows you to do fae magic, and with your bloodline, you will be able to harness the magic in Nauda's sword. Only someone from his bloodline would be able to wield the Sword of Light and have it be more than just a hunk of polished metal."

"What do I have to do to harness the magic in the sword? Is this something you can teach me?" I question.

"Well, from my understanding, you don't have to _do_ anything to harness the sword's magic. Nauda's magic is in your blood. I would suggest you take some fencing lessons or something though, just so you know how to handle a sword at least. Unfortunately I'm no help to you there though; you'll have to find a different instructor for that." Aiden seems a little discouraged that he can't teach me to fight with the sword.

"So, I need to find someone who's good with a sword that would be willing to teach me a thing or two." I smile to myself imagining the look on Eric's face if I ask the ancient Viking to teach me how to sword fight. That would be an interesting conversation. I notice Aiden has a forlorn expression, so I decide to move on to something else. "What about the things you can teach me? You said you had some ideas."

"Yes, I've done some reading and I think we should start with some air magic. I can summon winds using incantations, but I'll bet you could do it without the spells. I thought maybe would could practice that, and work on your telepathy a bit?" Aiden gets more animated now that we're back in his area of expertise and I agree to start my training. He takes off to his car to get some "supplies" that he brought over while I clean up.

Aiden comes back with a duffle bag and starts taking out candles and books. He sets up a candle on the table and lights it without seemingly doing anything but giving it a look, then opens one of his books and flips through till he finds the page he wants.

"Come and sit, Sookie. I want you to see if you can put the candle out." He pulls out a chair for me in front of his book and candle and I sit down. Standing behind me, he places a gentle hand on my left shoulder and leans over me to point out a phrase in his book. His face is so close to mine, I can feel the heat radiating from his skin on my cheek and his hair brushes against my temple. I'm distracted by his closeness and instead of focusing on the line he's pointing to I turn my head to look at him. He mirrors my movement and raises his slate eyes to meet mine. I'm locked in his gaze, taking in the thick dark lashes that frame his eyes, inhaling his scent. He brings his free hand up to tuck a stray hair behind my ear and parts his lips to speak, huskily whispering my name. He leans in to close the space between us...

"Well, isn't this cozy." The cool, inflectionless voice comes from behind us and I jump and turn while Aiden quickly straightens up. Pam.

"Pam, what are you doing here?" I question sharply, while trying to catch my breath. Between what almost happened and being startled out of my skin, my heart is pounding in my chest.

"I should ask you the same thing," she drawls with one perfectly shaped eyebrow arched questioningly.

I narrow my eyes and am about to go on the defensive, when Aiden takes a step toward Pam and says politely, "Hi, I'm Aiden. And you are...?"

Pam doesn't reply, but instead continues to stare me down. I turn to Aiden and answer for her, "Aiden, this is my friend Pam. Pam, this is Aiden."

I continue, standing up and walking toward Pam, "Niall sent Aiden to help teach me a few things. My grandfather thinks I may have some magic ability and wants Aiden to teach me how to use it." I'm unsure whether or not Aiden wants his telepathy to be public knowledge so I leave that part out.

Pam finally takes in Aiden and gives him a cursory once over. Her lips twitch a bit at the corners, which is the equivalent for Pam of doubling over in hysterics, and says, "Well, isn't that nice. Is this _tutor" _she says that word like it's a profanity, "anything like the last gift Niall sent to your home?"

I feel my anger rising as I remember the Christmas gift she's referring to, and apparently in my distraction I let my shields falter because I see Aiden's eyes go wide at the memory as he turns to look at me. I'm mortified, angry, and seriously ready to take off somewhere just to get the hell out of this situation. But I straighten my back, pick my chin up, and say, "Pam enough. Aiden is here to teach me to use fae magic, and you're interrupting our first lesson." I gesture to the book and candle to stress my point, and then turn back to her. "Now, unless there is some point to this visit, I'd like to get back to what we were doing."

"Oh, I'm sure you would," she replies, obviously unimpressed with my 'proof' of studying, and gives Aiden another glance, letting her fangs slide down a bit in appreciation. "I bet your tutor would like to get back to what you were doing as well, so I'll make this quick." Pam takes a completely unnecessary breath and goes on. "Rasul has informed Eric about your little trip to New Orleans and your encounter with Victor. I don't know what you were doing in New Orleans but it was a very stupid idea to go there without even letting any of us know. Now Victor is insistent on your presence at the summit, I believe he filled you in on the Kings plans?" She pauses and waits for my answer.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was supposed to run all of my plans by you." I retort with all the sarcasm I can muster. "I guess, seeing as you all have been keeping my informed about all your daily activities, I should have known better." I cross my arms across my chest and give Pam my coldest stare, but she doesn't seem phased in the least.

"Sookie, stop acting like a child. We have had our reasons for staying away from you. You should understand by now that Eric knows what to do to best keep you safe. He has been putting off answering Victor about this whole summit business in order to keep you out of our 'vampire shit' as you so fondly call it, to give you a chance to fully recover. And you go prancing around New Orleans dance clubs and blow the whole thing to shit. You have made Eric look like a liar to the King's people, and believe me, he is not pleased."

Well, I am properly chastened by that little speech. I think back to what Mr. Catalaides said about the King trying to find a way to catch Eric making a mistake, and am totally deflated. "Look, Pam I am sorry, I didn't mean to cause any trouble for Eric. But honestly, how was I supposed to know? No one has said a word to me in months! I appreciate that you all were trying to give me a chance to recover, but you left me totally out of the loop at the same time. If I had known what was going on, I would not have done anything to make Eric look bad to Felipe. I really am sorry."

Pam gives me a long look and finally relaxes a bit. With a huff she says, "I told him he needed to inform you about what has been going on or you would do something foolish. He was so insistent on not 'stressing you out' though. I told him you're not nearly as fragile as he makes you out to be, and" she glances back over at Aiden, "that you would get bored sitting around here on your own." She gives me a questioning look and I just shake my head. I am so not going there right now.

"Right, well, why don't you have a seat and tell me what's been going on. Can I get you a blood? I think I still have a few in the fridge. Aiden, more wine?" I ask and make my way over to the fridge. Pam accepts my offer for a drink as does Aiden and they both take a seat while I heat up the blood and refill our wine glasses. Aiden puts out the candle, he just blows it out I notice, doesn't use his magic, and closes up his book and sets it aside.

"So Aiden, Niall sent you to our Sookie did he? For what purpose?" Pam questions.

Aiden straighten up a little in his chair and I him press his thoughts into my mind.

_Do you want me to tell her the truth? _Aiden questions.

I think for a second and send, _Pam is my friend, I trust her. But you only have to share as much as you're comfortable with. I'll follow your lead._

"Niall came to me a few months back and asked to meet Sookie so I could help her with her fae magic and telepathy. I'm part fae too, and also a telepath, so he thought I would be able to teach her to control and harness her abilities."

Well, I guess he doesn't mind sharing everything, then. I glance at Pam to see how she reacts, but as usual I can't tell a thing from her mask of composure.

"I see. It seems Niall has found the perfect match for Sookie, I never thought I would meet another so much like her." I hand Pam her blood and she considers me for a moment then gives me a nod of thanks. I set down Aiden and my wine glasses and take a neutral seat between the two of them.

"So, catch me up, Pam. What's been going on and what is this summit all about?"

"Well, the new regime is a pain in our collective asses. That damn Victor Madden has spent the better part of the past 3 months dropping in Fangtasia and questioning the area vampires about Eric's sheriff abilities and methods. Of course, as you know, everyone under Eric has the utmost respect for him, and so they all have been saying nothing but good things. Finally about 2 weeks ago Victor stopped hanging around so much and returned to New Orleans. We were all happy to see him go." Pam raises her blood in a mock toast to Victor's departure.

"Mr. Catalaides said Victor is trying to catch Eric stepping out of line. He thinks Victor and Felipe are intimidated by Eric and want to get rid of him by using the political system rather than force. But nothing has happened so far, right," I question.

"Of course not. Eric is not stupid he knows what they are up to. We have meticulously followed all of the rules. He has also been keeping his distance from you in part so they would not use you against him but also to play up your recovery and needing time to be left alone. He has insisted that all negotiations for use of your ability be negotiated through him, as your bonded," she glances at Aiden to make sure he absorbed that little tidbit then continues, "and so far he has put off committing you to the summit. Of course now he has no excuse left to give them and that is why he sent me here tonight to summon you to Fangtasia so you could discuss plans for the summit."

I know I should be used to it by now, but I'm just not. The idea of Eric 'summoning' me to him just grates on my nerves. But, I take a deep breath, calm myself so I won't over-react, and try to reply with as much dignity as possibly. "Eric very well knows that he can pick up a phone and call me himself rather than sending you all the way out here to deliver his little message. When does he _request_ that I come to see him?"

Pam just loves this, I know. With a smirk she replies, heavily on the sarcasm, "Eric requests, if it is not inconvenient for you of course, that you come see him tomorrow night. Would that be agreeable for you?"

I have to stifle a little laugh. I can just imagine Eric being so polite, right! "Yes, that is acceptable." I reply with a smirk. "I'm just working till 5 tomorrow, so I'll come by after I get done."

"Oh good, I can't wait to tell him. He'll be so happy." She gives me a devious look and adds, "And I'm sure he will be just delighted to hear about your new tutor as well." I blanch. With an absolutely evil smirk on her face, Pam stands and says, "Well, I shall take my leave then so you can get back to… whatever the two of you were doing before I barged in."

She turns to Aiden, giving him a slight nod which he returns, and says, "Nice to meet you, Pam"

"Yes, nice indeed, Aiden." Still grinning like the cat that ate the canary she turns to me and with a parting nod says, "See you tomorrow, Sookie" and is out the door.

I am so screwed.

I grab my wine and take a big gulp. I need to relax. Eric hasn't contacted me in months; I have nothing to feel guilty about. And besides, nothing even happened between me and Aiden. I'm sure Pam will paint a charming picture to get Eric all worked up, she just loves teasing him and I'm sure she hasn't had much of a chance without me providing ample material for her over the past few months, but really there is nothing to upset him. Ok, I feel better. Aiden has been very quite and I feel bad about just ignoring him and talking to Pam all this time, so I put on a smile and turn to him.

"Sorry about all that. Pam's actually a good friend, she just has a funny way of showing it."

He returns my smile and says, "Not a problem. You have very interesting friends, Sookie: an over-zealous witch roommate, an overprotective shifter boss, an acerbic vampire friend, and bonded to a vampire sheriff! What's next a disgruntled Were ex-boyfriend?" He laughs and I blush, if he only knew...

"Niall told me you were involved with a lot of different supes, but I didn't realize to what extent. Your blood-bonded to a vampire?" he questions.

I struggle to find the best way to explain. "It's... complicated, me and Eric. It was sort of done out of necessity. We never have completely figured out what sort of relationship our bond entails."

Aiden cuts me off, "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Sookie. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

I feel the need to make Aiden understand that the bond does not make Eric my boyfriend, so I say, "No, its fine. It's hard to explain, and it has definitely been a strange thing having a bond with Eric, but it was something he did to protect me from the other vampires who want to use me for my telepathy. The whole vampire 'mine' thing has been handy to keep other vamps away from me, but I'm still my own person."

Aiden seems to mull that over for a moment but doesn't say anything more, so I change the subject, asking, "Do we still have enough time to try a few things tonight?"

Aiden smiles and relights the candle with his magic. "Sure, let's see what you can do. I think I'm going to skip trying out the spells and instead I want you to use your telepathy to focus on my mind while I manipulate the flame. I'm not sure exactly how it will work for you, but seeing how it works in me will probably help."

I feel Aiden lower his shields and can hear his thoughts again.

_Can you feel my mind, Sookie? Not just hear my thoughts, but sense my whole mind?_

I close my eyes and focus in on his mind like I would when I'm trying to feel for a vampire. I can't hear them, but I can sense where their mind should be, so I figure this is what he means. Instead of the vampire void, I can feel Aiden's mind like a sort of pulsing bubble of energy.

_Yes, I think so._

_Good, now concentrate on how I focus my energy on the flame._

I can almost see the bubble of energy sending out tendrils toward the flame. I open my eyes and watch as the flame grows larger. I pay attention to how the tendrils of energy ebb and flow and how the flame reacts by growing larger and smaller.

_Ok, Sookie, now I want you to try. Focus on your own mind and try to send your energy to the flame like I did._

I really have no idea what I'm doing. I try to see my own mind as a bubble of energy like Aiden's, but it just doesn't seem to work that way. I try to imagine myself projecting energy at the flame. Nothing happens.

_I don't know, Aiden. I really don't understand what I'm supposed to be doing._

_Hmm, instead of concentrating on the flame, try concentrating on the air. Try to push the air at the flame._

I visualize air moving toward the flame and try to project energy at the air and push it away from me, and I see the flame flicker a little.

_That's great! Try again, but give it a little more of a push._

I try again, doing what he says and focusing more energy this time. I push it away with more force and imagine a gust of air. To my utter astonishment, the flame goes out just like it would if a kid were blowing out their birthday candles in one, big breath.

"I did it! It worked!" I exclaim and throw my arms around Aiden in my exuberance.

He returns my embrace with a strong squeeze. Holding on to my shoulders, he pulls back and gives me his crinkle-eyed smile. "That was amazing! I can't believe how quickly you figured it out! It took me forever to learn how to do magic without incantations."

I am so amazed that it actually worked, I can hardly contain my excitement! "Let's try something else! What else can I do?"

Aiden laughs and pulls me back into his chest. Instantly distracted by the feel of his muscular chest against me, his strong arms wrapped around my shoulders, I forget completely about trying more magic.

_God she's remarkable._

I'm a little awestruck by the thought I inadvertently catch. Before I have much of a chance to react though, Aiden lets out a sigh and releases me. "It's getting late. I think we should stop for today. When can I see you again?"

It takes me a minute to catch up, but I eventually manage to say, "I have to work tomorrow and find out about this vampire summit. But how about Tuesday?"

"Tuesday it is," Aiden replies and he gathers up his books and packs them away. He lights the candle again and says, "in the meantime, keep practicing."

I walk Aiden out to the front porch, and like last time he leans in and plants a kiss on my cheek. I close my eyes and savor the feel of his lips on my skin for a moment, then say, "Goodnight, Aiden."

"Goodnight, Sookie." He turns and heads for his car, so I lock up and return to the kitchen. I watch the candle flame for a few minutes recapping my long day. I glance over at the velvet bundle that contains Nauda's sword. I'll have to remember to ask Eric about sword fighting lessons tomorrow. I smile at the thought. Gathering up the sword, I take a moment to mentally blow out the candle then head to bed.

* * *

That's everything I have complete at this point. Ch 6 is about half way done and I'm going to continue working on it while the snow piles up outside – 8 inches and counting! And that's on top of the 20 something we got over the weekend!

Just so you all know, I am a huge Eric fan, and while I am exploring some new ideas here, rest assured our favorite Viking will be making his grand appearance in the next chapter and he will be a key player as this story progresses.

Thanks to those of you who have reviewed! If I can figure out how, I will respond them!


	6. Chapter 6

Well the snow is finally done falling and I'm done writing the chapter. So without further ado, here comes the Viking… :)

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

* * *

**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 6**

As exhausted as I am, I don't sleep soundly Sunday night at all. I keep waking up screaming and crying from nightmares about Dermot. In the most recent one I was battling Dermot with Nauda's sword but I kept dropping it. It was incredibly frustrating! My hands were useless, they felt like giant Mickey Mouse hands that wouldn't flex and bend the way they were supposed to and I just couldn't seem to keep a grip on the sword. Its power is only effective when someone in Nauda's bloodline _wields _the sword, not when they drop it! Aiden was there too and he was trying to help me by throwing flames at Dermot, but Dermot picked up my sword and in one swift move decapitated Aiden. My own sobs woke me up, and now I can't get the image of Aiden's lifeless eyes or the sound of Dermot's sadistic laugh out of my mind. I toss and turn the rest of the night, finally getting a bit of sleep after the sun comes up. This day is off to a wonderful start.

I get myself ready for work in a daze. I try to conceal the bags under my eyes as best I can, and I drink almost an entire pot of coffee, but both have little impact. I attempt to practice my air magic for a while with the candle Aiden left behind. I can't summon enough energy to do much more than make the flame flicker though. Eventually I give up and head to Merlotte's for my shift.

Sam pulls me aside a few hours into the afternoon. "Sookie, are you ok? You seem really out of it today."

"I'm fine, Sam, I just didn't get a very good night's sleep."

Sam gives me a sympathetic look and asks, "The nightmares aren't getting any better, are they?"

I shake my head and stifle a yawn. He was pretty used to seeing me like this over the past few months, but last night was worse then it had been in a weeks. "They were getting better for a little while, but after Niall's letter and everything in New Orleans, I guess it's just stirred things up again."

"How did things go in New Orleans? You never did say."

I tell Sam about what Niall left me. He's quiet while I recap, and I notice he's not acting surprised over Niall's gifts, instead he just looks very concerned. Finally he speaks saying, "Sookie, this doesn't sound good. Niall set you up with a weapon and someone to train you in magic; he must really expect Dermot to make a move. I think you should concentrate on learning everything you can so you can protect yourself. How did it go with Aiden yesterday?"

"Pretty good, he mostly explained some fairy history and about the sword. We didn't have much time to work on the magic since we were interrupted by Pam."

"What did Pam want?" Sam looks annoyed now.

I fill him in on Felipe's plans for the summit and my encounter with Victor in New Orleans. "So, Pam came by to see if I could come to Fangtasia tonight to talk about the summit."

"You have to drive out to Shreveport tonight? You'll fall asleep at the wheel!" Sam runs a hand through his shaggy hair and glances around the bar. "Can't you cancel and go another night?"

"You know how Eric is. He'll probably end up knocking on my door in the middle of the night if I don't show up. I'll be fine, don't worry."

Sam gives me a scathing look, then sighs and says, "Listen, it's pretty quiet in here, why don't you head home early and try to get some rest."

I'm not one to ignore my responsibilities, but I have to admit, I'm really not in any shape for a long drive. There's not that much time left in my shift anyway, but it would give me enough time to take a quick nap, so I give in. "Ok, Sam. You're sure?"

"Yeah, go on Sookie get some sleep. I'll take care of your tables till Maddie gets here."

I give Sam a hug and my thanks and turn to go back to the office. At the last second I remember I need to ask about his rental property for Aiden. "Oh Sam, I almost forgot. Is that duplex of yours I stayed in still empty?"

"Yeah, why? Did something happen to your house?" Sam looks alarmed, so I quickly reassure him.

"No, no there's nothing wrong with my place. Its just that Aiden's staying in a hotel and he's probably going to be around for a little while so I told him I'd ask about the house. Would you rent it to him?"

"Yeah, sure. Tell him to stop in sometime and I'll get him all set up. It's still furnished too, so he can move right in."

"Thanks, Sam!" I give him another quick squeeze and head home. I really am exhausted. I figure I can sleep for a good 2 hours before I need to leave, and that's exactly what I do.

Thank God for a dreamless sleep! I actually feel pretty good when I get up. I want to look somewhat professional for this meeting, so I throw on a pair of nice grey pants and a sleeveless, white button down shirt. I play with the number of buttons left open at the top so as not to reveal too much cleavage, and I pull my hair back with a clip. Once satisfied I go to the kitchen to have a quick dinner before I leave. Amelia's there so we chat while we make dinner. She agrees with Sam that I need to put some serious effort into learning my magic and even suggests I cut back my hours at Merlottes in order to train. As she points out, I don't really need the paycheck anymore anyway. I'll have to think about that though. I like my job and I don't want to leave Sam when he's already trying to recover from the loss of Arlene. Before I leave I want to practice my magic a little, I'm hoping after my nap I'll be able to do a better job. I light the candle and give it a go, and sure enough I get the flame to go out. I relight the candle a few times, and now that I know what I'm doing, it takes surprisingly little effort.

"Sookie that's great!" Amelia congratulates. "I wonder what else you'll be able to do."

"I don't know? I haven't really given it much thought. I'm meeting Aiden again tomorrow to try some other stuff, so we'll see what happens." I glance at the clock and sigh, "I should hit the road though. I'll see you later."

The drive to Shreveport takes about 40 minutes, and I spend that time recapping my most recent times with Eric. One of my fondest memories with him over the past year (besides of course the time I woke up to find him in my bed after Quinn's visit) was the night I went to see him at Fangtasia and we just sat and talked. He was so open with me that night, telling me about his human wife and children, and it seemed for a moment like we might actually be able to have a relationship; a real relationship, not just one centered on sex and saving me all the time. But everything seemed to fall apart after the fairy war. Eric came around a lot at first and treated me really well. We watched movies and he gave me his blood to help me heal, but he never opened up to me like that again, and I was still in too bad of shape mentally and physically to do much more than cuddle with him. When I did start feeling better, he became more and more distant and then stopped coming over altogether about three months ago. It really hurt that he just abandoned me like that and I've done my best over the past few months to just avoid thinking about him. But now here I am, on my way to go see him. I have such mixed feelings about it and I just don't know what to expect from our meeting.

Pretty soon I'm pulling around to the employee lot of Fangtasia. It's been a long time since I've been here, and I feel a little awkward using the back door. I hesitate as I reach for it, steeling myself and summoning some courage, when the door swings open apparently of its own accord.

Pam appears in the doorway but looks past me seeming to search for something. "Oh darn, I was hoping you would have that tasty tutor of yours with you. I wanted Eric to meet him."

I give Pam my best cold stare, but the ice-queen is not phased. "Come in Sookie, Eric's in his office." She holds the door open and follows me down the hall.

Eric's office door is slightly open, but I hesitate, unsure whether I should just walk in or knock. Before I make up my mind though, I hear Eric's smooth voice call out from inside, "Come in, my lover."

I haven't heard his voice in months, and the effect that just hearing him has on my body is embarrassing. I'm know Pam can hear my heart beat speed up from behind me, but it's the twinge of lust I'm sure Eric can feel that has me the most self-conscious. I take a calming breath and walk in. Oh, Eric is really laying it on thick. The beautiful Viking is wearing a very fitted, black t-shirt and jeans. His sculpted biceps are on full display as he is stretched out with his booted feet on his desk, hands intertwined behind his blond mane. I take a moment to gaze over him from head to toe, inch by glorious inch, but I'm broken out of my reverie when Pam uses a cool finger to push my jaw back up into place. With a snicker she says, "I think I'll give the two of you a moment to catch up. I'll be in the bar."

Mortified at my obvious oogling, I shake myself and make my way toward Eric's desk. I should have known he wasn't going to let me get away that easy; he's in front of me pulling me into his chest as soon as Pam closes the door. I can't help myself. I completely melt into his embrace. He buries his head in my neck and inhales. "Lover, I have missed you."

"Mmmm, me too," I breath into his chest. He begins running his strong hands up and down my back and moves his mouth up my neck and along my jaw line. It takes all my will power to regain my wits and push away from him. "Eric, please, you wanted to talk?" I question breathlessly.

"We have plenty of time for talking," he murmurs pulling me into a tighter embrace, successfully closing the little space I had created. "Come now, I have not seen you for months." He punctuates his statement with a toe-curling kiss, but I'm stuck on the not seeing him for months reminder. All of my anger and hurt feelings from these past months comes barreling back into me and Eric stiffens from the sensations I'm sure he's feeling through the bond. I use his momentary lapse to unwrap myself from his arms and take a big step back, poking him in the chest for good measure.

"You're right, Eric, its _has_ been months! You think you can ignore me for all this time and just say 'I miss you, Lover' and everything will be fine? I don't think so, buddy. I'm hear to talk and that's it." While he may have looked momentarily apologetic, as soon as the word buddy is out of my mouth his eyes quickly glow with anger.

"I have not been ignoring you," he growls through clenched teeth. "I have been trying to keep you safe. You have no idea what's been going on around here."

I cut him off saying, "I haven't had the slightest idea what's been going on because I haven't heard a thing from any of you!" I take a breath and try to clam myself down, remembering what Mr. Catalaides said, and I continue, "until I spoke to Mr. Catalaides and Pam, I didn't know what to think at all. You stopped coming by, then stopped returning my calls. I haven't heard from Pam or Bill even." I cast my eyes downward, remembering how alone I've felt, and Eric seems to soften a little.

"I know it has been hard for you, but I assure you my coming by would not have helped. Sit, lover, and I will explain."

I sit down in the chair in front of Eric's desk, the couch just looks a little to cozy for me to keep my wits about me. Eric eyes said couch and then proceeds to sit on the other side of his desk. Letting out a sigh as he goes. "What did Catalaides tell you so far?"

I recap Mr. Catalaides comments about the King's apparent fear of Eric and his thoughts on Felipe trying to catch him somehow breaking the law in order to get rid of him. Eric seems pleased with the demon's assessment and says, "I have been thinking the same thing. Victor has been around constantly for the past few months, interrogating everyone in the area and watching my every move. This is why I have been keeping my distance from you. I told him you were recovered physically but that you needed time away from all supes for a while to get over such a traumatic ordeal. I've even had to keep Alcide away and put off his requests to see you and ask about some jobs."

"Alcide? What does he want?" I question.

"The were is having a hard time since their revelation and he thought you might be able to help him with some staffing issues at his company." Eric waves a dismissive hand at the idea.

"But I don't understand why you couldn't come see me in all this time? You're right, I wouldn't have wanted to take any jobs, but it would have been comforting to have… friends come visit at least." I trail off at the end, completely unsure what to classify Eric as, and opt instead to make it a general statement.

"I told Victor you were healed. In his and Felipe's opinions there would be no other reason for me to see you once you no longer needed my blood, especially since I said you were not up to using your gift. You have to understand, to them you are but an asset and if I had continued going to your house they would have been suspicious. I did not wish to attract any attention to you."

I mull that over but find I'm not entirely satisfied with his answer. "And you couldn't call and explain this to me or anything?"

"Victor has our phones tapped. The bar was bugged as well, but we finally got that all removed once Victor returned to New Orleans."

Well, that sort of made sense I guess, but I still had questions. "But I am supposed to be under Felipe's protection, right? I mean, Dermot is still out there you know, and Amelia and I have been alone in that house for months."

"Yes, I know. Niall told me he could not find Dermot before he sealed the portals off. You have not been left without protection though. Bill patrols your home at night but has been told to keep a good distance. Sam has been watching over you at work and a bit around your house. And Calvin assigned some of his panthers to patrol during the days, they too have been told to keep their distance."

Wow, I had no idea so many people were wandering around my home. How could I not have sensed them? I guess I was in worse mental shape then I had thought. Although I do spend most of my time at home keeping my shields locked in place to keep Amelia out. I'd have to make sure to check when I got home to see if I could sense Bill out there.

"Well it still would have been nice to know all of this was going on, Eric," I say with a bit of a whine.

Eric seems to realize that I'm pretty much out of arguments, and with a satisfied look says, "So if you are content with the goings on of the past few months, may we move on to some of my questions?"

"I just have one more," I say, and Eric nods for me to continue. I'm not exactly sure how to broach the subject, so I just go for the direct route. "Are you planning a takeover?"

Eric raises a questioning eyebrow, "A takeover, lover? You mean in all of my spare time between arranging your protection, entertaining Victor, and running my area and bar, you think I am plotting to overthrow the King?"

I know it sounds unlikely, but I also know that Eric did not answer my question. I stay silent and just wait for him to continue.

After a long moment, Eric says, "No, I am not planning to overthrow Felipe. I have no desire to be King."

"But why, Eric? Why haven't you ever tried to move up in vamp politics at all?" Eric's eyebrows knit together and he frowns at me, so I amend, "Don't get me wrong, I am the last person to care about political titles and I hadn't even thought about it until Mr. Catalaides said something. But it got me wondering, and I just want to know why."

Eric draws his hands together into a steeple and ponders my question for a while with a far away look. I just wait while I absorb the emotions coming across the bond: a mixture of apprehension and sorrow finally turns to resignation.

Eric lets out a sigh and begins, "I have been on this Earth for a very long time. I have spent a millennium fighting to better my situation; even in my human life we were constantly raiding and battling. I had to fight at my maker's every whim, and then eventually to finally remove myself from his control and earn my own place in the vampire world. I have fought with my kind against other supernatural races time and again, and against other vampires when needed. When I moved to Louisiana to work for Sophie-Anne, I was tired of fighting. The queen was a fair leader and that is why I decided to settle here. I know you probably do not see her that way because of your experience with her, but with me she was always fair. She mostly left me to do as I pleased. Of course there were the obligatory duties, but she was never unreasonable and understood my desire to just be left alone. Since we revealed ourselves to the humans that had actually seemed possible."

Eric paused and I tried to wrap my mind around everything he's lived through. It's hard to imagine such a long life, and to spend most of it constantly struggling must have taken its toll. Eric's long existence was rarely apparent, but looking into his eyes at this moment, I could almost see the impact of those 1,000 years.

Eric takes another unnecessary breath and the corners of his mouth turn up into a smile, but it doesn't touch his cerulean eyes. The long history I thought I could sense in those eyes is quickly replaced with a look of determination and fire. "This, Lover, is why I am not planning any takeover. I truly do not have the desire to fight for more power. Of course I still enjoy a good battle, and I will always be more than ready to fight when I am threatened. But to engage in such a thing unnecessarily? No, I am not power hungry. However if Felipe does threaten my life, or those I hold dear," here he gives me a significant look, "then I will fight to protect what is mine."

I absorb what Eric is telling me. So he's not planning a takeover per se, but he made it pretty clear that if pressed he will have some tricks up his sleeve. I'm sure what he _is_ planning, though, are counter measures for any move Felipe might make, but I decide to tuck that away for further contemplation later.

I look up to take in Eric's changed expression. The odd smirk on his face lets me know he is done discussing this and ready to move on to his questions now. And sure enough, the next word out of his mouth are, "My turn, Lover."

I straighten in my chair and prepare to deal with whatever it is he wants to ask me. "Ok, Eric, what do you want to know?"

"Tell me about this fairy tutor Niall sent you," he demands with narrow eyes, it's really not a question. But before I have a chance to respond, Pam walks in the room.

"I got caught up with some unruly fang-bangers out there. I didn't miss you telling him about Aiden, did I?" Pam pouts.

Eric raises an eyebrow and I get a surge of… jealousy? through the bond. "Who is Aiden?" he growls.

Pam is practically giddy as a schoolgirl, of course for her that translates to a slight quirk of her lips, "Oh good, I haven't missed anything," she drawls and plops herself on the couch to enjoy the show.

I was sure Pam would have taken the opportunity to tell Eric all about Aiden before I got here, but she obviously thought it would be more fun to watch us both squirm and kept the details to herself.

I realize they are both waiting for me to say something, so I summon my resolve and begin. "Aiden is a part-fae telepath that Niall sent to me. He's much more skilled with his telepathy than I am and has also learned to harness his fae magic, so he's going to teach me. Niall said I have the 'spark' and can do fae magic too."

When they realize that's all I'm saying on the matter, Pam interjects, "but your leaving out the best part, Sookie. When I walked in last night…"

I quickly cut her off, "Oh of course! You have to see what I can already do! It's really cool. Do you have a candle?"

Pam sulks back down into the couch with a grimace, but Eric nods his head toward a candle on his bookshelf. I jump up to retrieve the candle, hoping I can distract them enough with my new ability to keep out of any conversation regarding the 'best parts' of Aiden. I light the candle with the matches that were sitting next to it and place it on Eric's desk.

"Ok, now watch the candle," I tell them and try to clear my mind and focus my energy. I'm a little worked up though and can only seem to make it flicker.

"What are we supposed to be seeing, Sookie?" Pam questions, staring intently at the flame.

Frustrated, I say, "just watch," and try to really push the air at the candle with all my energy. It's seems I give it a bit too much kick though. Sure the candle goes out, but everything on Eric's desk also goes flying at him and he's currently covered in a pile of probably important forms and various other office paraphernalia.

Removing a post-it from his head, Eric asks, "What the hell was that?"

I can't contain the giggle that bursts out when I look at Eric. I'm reminded of Trash Heap from my favorite childhood show, Fraggle Rock. He just needs the banana peal hat to top off the look, I think to myself. That really gets me going, and despite the scathing look he's currently shooting me, I continue laughing while I try to put him to rights. Gathering up his papers I try to explain. "I have some tie to the air because of my fae-bloodline. So Aiden is teaching me to manipulate the air with my mind. So far I've only been able to muster enough energy to blow out a candle, but apparently I can put a bit more force behind it then just that."

"Yes, apparently," Eric grumbles sarcastically.

I get all the papers cleaned up, pulling a few paperclips out of his hair, and return everything to his desk. "I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to do all that," I say waving my hand around him and his desk to illustrate the point.

"So you did that with just your mind?" Pam questions. I have to stop and revel in the moment before I answer, because Pam actually looks impressed.

"Well, yeah I guess. I don't know how to describe it any other way. I'm not really sure what else I'll be able to do with it either."

"Very impressive, Lover." Eric compliments as I resume my seat.

I beam with pride at their recognition. And I have to admit, for the first time in a long time I feel pretty darn good about myself. Before I can get too carried away though, I snap back to the present and remember the whole purpose for coming here tonight. I ask, "So what's the deal with this summit? Victor said it was sometime next month?"

Eric fills me in on the specifics of the summit. It seems Felipe wants to meet with the sheriffs of all the areas to handle any issues that have arrived since the takeover. This means there will be trials like in Rhodes as well as the normal ostentatious parties the vampire kings and queens love to throw. A few representatives from surrounding states will also be present for business dealings. My work will likely be to sit in on trials and business meetings whenever humans are present, and of course to eavesdrop during the socializing for any zealot plots against the kingdom. It's amazing to me that this sounds almost routine at this point. I question Eric about the logistics, like when and for how long and travel accommodations.

"You, Bill, and I will fly out from Shreveport in the evening and will be staying together in a suite. I will likely have to attend some meetings without you, and will feel better if you have Bill close by. I've put a request in with Alcide to send one of his were's over for you to meet, and he will accompany us as well and stay with you during the days." Eric looks at me questioningly, I assume to see if I'm going to throw a fit over being babysat. I'm not going to though. After the fairy war I have completely forgiven Bill for his past indiscretions and have a newfound respect for sticking with my "guards."

When I simply nod without argument, Eric continues. "We'll leave on Thursday but the events don't start until Friday night so we'll have that evening to get situated. The final reception will be on Sunday night and we'll fly back Monday morning."

"Ok, sounds like a plan. And Pam's not coming because…?" I prompt.

Pam interjects sulkily, "All of the sheriffs were told to leave their seconds behind to run the areas. So I'll be stuck here with the fang-bangers and paperwork while you're off enjoying Vegas."

I snort, "Oh, so sorry, Pam. I'm sure I'll be having so much fun listening in on the fascinating business meetings and charming trial rulings all weekend."

Pam just shrugs and Eric continues, "Now, you will need to pick up some new clothing for this trip: some business attire as well as some evening gowns. I believe you lost everything from before in Rhodes?" I nod and he goes on, "I have set up a line of credit again at your friend's shop but you will also need to pick up new luggage as well."

I cut him off before he can get too carried away. "Eric that's really not necessary, I can buy my own clothes. Especially now that I have me inheritance."

"Inheritance?" Eric questions.

"Yeah, Niall left me a good bit of money. That's why I was in New Orleans last weekend; I was meeting with Mr. Catalaides to finalize everything. So really, I'm fine." I try to be polite but stern about this point. I really would not feel right about Eric buying me clothes especially now that I have plenty of money of my own.

Eric seems to be debating whether or not to let it go and finally sighs and moves on. "Very well. While we're on the topic of money, I need to know how much Sophie-Anne paid you for Rhodes. Felipe agreed to pay the same fee."

"Oh wonderful," I snort. "So I guess I'm doing this pro bono then, huh?"

Eric looks confused at my outburst. "What do you mean, pro bono? I just told you he would pay you what Sophie-Anne paid."

"Well that's the thing, Eric. Sophie-Anne never did pay me. Between the bombing and her recovering from her injuries, I guess paying me got put on the back burner. Then Felipe took over…" I trailed off figuring he could fill in the blanks himself.

"I was not aware you were never paid. When Felipe took over Sophie-Anne's kingdom he also took over her debts. I will see to it that you are paid for both summits."

I just shrug in response. Of course I want to be paid, but I had resigned myself to the fact that I would never see any money from Rhodes. "Ok, let me know what happens with that." Glancing at the clock I realize its almost 2 am. "It's getting really late though and I need to be up to meet Aiden tomorrow, so I really should get going."

I stand to head for the door and Eric rises as well. Turning to say goodbye to Pam, I notice she's gone into downtime during our conversation. I give her a little wave but of course she's not paying attention.

"You never did tell me much about this tutor of yours," Eric probes as he guides me to the door. I notice Pam turns her attention back to us eagerly. It's late, I'm tired, and I would like nothing more than to get out of this office without any discussion on this topic. I know the only way out of this is for some serious distraction, so I dive in.

I turn back and place a hand on Eric's chest and look up at him through my lashes. In my most demure tone I whisper, "You know, I could use a tutor in another matter."

Eric raises an eyebrow and questions, "Oh really?"

"Mmm hmm," I nod and continue suggestively, "and I can't think of anyone who's more skilled at it than you are, Eric."

He straightens up and I can feel the lust swelling through the bond. "Go on."

"Do you think that you could teach me," I hesitate and drop my eyes timidly.

Eric preens and lifts my chin back up to meet his smoldering gaze, "What do you want me to teach you, lover?"

I can barely keep my focus between the intensity of the feelings he's throwing at me and the burning look in his eyes. I steel my resolve and finally say, "Could you teach me how to, um, how to fight with a sword?"

I know I'll pay for this later, but it's totally worth it for the dumbstruck look on his face. Eric can't seem to come up with a reply, so I take my opportunity saying, "Think it over and let me know." I plant a quick, chaste kiss on his slack-jawed mouth and get the heck out of there. The last thing I hear on my way out the employee exit is the sound of Pam's genuine laughter cut off sharply by Eric's growl.

* * *

I hope you all are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it! Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed! I was pretty unsure about publishing a story but you all have given me the courage to continue, so thank you! Please keep the feedback coming! It's great to hear what you're thinking and wondering about so I don't leave any holes.


	7. Chapter 7

I'm so inspired by the reaction I've gotten to this story that I just had to get another chapter out! I really don't think I can keep up this pace, but I will continue updating as quickly as I can. Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed! I really appreciate you encouragement and thoughts.

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

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**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 7**

During breakfast Tuesday morning, Amelia and I are having a good laugh over my Fangtasia meeting recap, when the doorbell rings. I look through the peephole to find a deliveryman standing there with a large package and a clipboard. I open the door to sign for the delivery and he hands me an envelope before heading on his way.

I immediately recognize Eric's writing on the envelope and stifle one last remembered giggle before I open it.

_Lover,_

_I know you said you would take care of your own shopping, but I couldn't resist giving you a little something. I hope you will accept my gift._

_As for your intriguing request last night, I have thought it over as you asked and would be willing to tutor you on the proper handling of my sword anytime you like. _

_Yours,_

_E._

I roll my eyes at Eric's word choice and move on to the large box. Inside I find a set of black leather luggage complete with carryon and garment bags. The garment bag appears to have something in it, so I hang it on the door jam and unzip, gasping at the stunning gown inside.

The floor length, sapphire blue, chiffon gown is beautiful! It has a strapless, straight neckline accented with wide crisscrossing ribbons of beads and is cut into a sleek empire waist with a flowing A-line skirt.

"Wow," Amelia breathes from behind me. "Sookie, that dress is gorgeous! Did Eric send it?" she questions.

I have a twinge of guilt for laughing at his expense this morning and nod to Amelia. "He sent luggage, too." I gesture to the bags on the floor between us.

Amelia just grins and shakes her head at my forlorn expression. "Come on, I'll help you put it all away."

After stashing my gifts away in my closet and getting myself showered, I throw on some jeans and a buttery yellow sleeveless top and sandals. I'm just finished drying my hair when my phone rings. It's Aiden, and after exchanging pleasantries he says, "We never decided on a time for today so I was wondering when would be good."

"Oh, anytime this afternoon is great. I have to be at Merlotte's at 5 though."

"Well if your not busy, I can come over now," he suggests.

"That sounds great, I'll be here, so come by whenever you're ready."

We say our goodbyes and I finish getting myself ready. I take a few minutes to straighten up my room and bathroom then head into the living room to give that a quick once over, but of course Amelia's already made sure it and the kitchen are spotless. I decide to make a pitcher of sweet-tea while I wait for Aiden.

Soon enough Aiden is bounding up my steps just as I'm pulling open the front door, his arms laden with books and duffle bag over his shoulder. He leans in for a gentle kiss on my cheek as he reaches the landing. I smile to myself at the familiarity of his greeting. I've barely known Aiden for a week now, but I already feel so completely comfortable with him. I hold open the door and gesture for him to go inside. He makes his way toward the kitchen and drops his armload of books and bag on the table.

"What's all that?" I ask, motioning toward the table.

Aiden runs a hand through his hair looking over the stack of books then glances at me with a timid smile, "It's a lot, huh? The books I asked Aunt Fina to send me were delivered yesterday so I thought we might have a chance to look them over today, and I brought a few things I thought you could practice with." He sounds so excited that I can't help but smile at him. He grins and starts sifting through the bag until he finds a small white box.

He walks over to me and hands me the box saying, "This is something I made for you. I just finished it up this morning."

I take the small box from him apprehensively and he seems to pick up on my reluctance. "It's nothing big, I just thought it might help with your training. Go on, open it," he encourages.

I'm really not very good at accepting gifts, I know, and I'm a little hesitant. Aiden has already done so much for me by uprooting his life and coming to help me, it hardly seems right that he should be giving me things too. I notice his smile starts to falter and I would really feel bad refusing something he took the time to make for me, so I go ahead and open the box.

Inside is a white gold knot pendant inlaid with striking blue stone and hanging from a delicate woven chain. I run my fingers over the intricate design and breath, "It's lovely, Aiden. You made this?"

He smiles at my reaction and reaches forward to take the necklace out of the box. "My Aunt sent the pendant and chain from her shop, I just did the stone inlay. It's a Celtic trinity knot. It represents the connection between mind, body, and spirit."

After removing the necklace, he moves behind me to clasp it on my neck. I pull my hair out of his way and he continues, "The stone is azurite. Many different cultures associate the gem's power with an ability to unite our conscious and subconscious mind." Once he has the pendant situated he turns me around to take in the sight of me wearing it. Smiling in approval he goes on, "Egyptian priests used to grind up azurite to make a paint for their forehead, believing it enhanced the powers of their third eye. My thought was that it might help strengthen your control of your telepathy." He lifts his hand to my face and strokes his thumb across my cheekbone meeting my gaze and saying, "And it just happens to compliments your eyes perfectly."

I blush and drop my eyes, lifting the pendant to look at it more closely. "I can't believe you made this. It's really beautiful, Aiden, thank you."

I look back up, noticing Aiden hasn't moved an inch and is still cupping the side of my face in his hand. I meet his eyes and I am mesmerized. I don't know how long we stood like that, locked in place by some invisible force, but the next thing I'm aware of is the feel of his soft lips against that same spot on my cheekbone. He brings his other hand up to caress the side of my face and along my jaw line and moves his mouth to my other cheek. I let go of the pendant and reach my own hands across to explore the contours of his sculpted chest, trailing them along his broad shoulders. He seems tentative as he plants small kisses along the sides of my face, avoiding my mouth. I have a moment of inner turmoil before I sigh and run my hands up to tangle in his hair and pull his mouth to mine.

_Whoa! Oops! Shit, shit shit!_

We both break from the kiss and slowly turn our head toward the doorway to see Amelia frantically turning right and left unsure where to go or what to do. I can't help the giggle that escapes at the sight of her; she truly looks panicked. Aiden smiles and plants one last kiss on my cheek before releasing me and turning back to the table. I take a deep breath to restart my brain then walk into the living room to find Amelia.

"Sookie, I am so sorry!" she whispers to me, but it comes out louder than most people usually speak.

I just laugh and start in on reassuring her, "It's ok Amelia, really. It was just a kiss."

She snorts, "Right, that musta been one hell of a kiss from the look on your face."

I feel my cheeks blush and smile, "Alright, it was one hell of a kiss, but really, no big deal. Calm down, ok?"

Amelia nods then shakes her head at me with a laugh. I wrap an arm in hers and pull her into the kitchen with me. I'm secretly relieved for the interruption. I'm not normally the type of girl to go from kissing one guy one night and a different guy the next day. I'm apparently powerless to keep my libido in check and could really use the chaperone.

As we step into the kitchen Aiden stands from his seat at the table and greats Amelia. "Hi Amelia, nice to see you again."

"You too, Aiden. Sorry for barging in like that."

Aiden smiles and waves a dismissive hand saying, "No apology necessary, this is your kitchen too after all."

"So, sweet teas?" I interject. Both Aiden and Amelia agree and I start getting our drinks ready. Handing them each a glass, I join them at the table.

Amelia hops up saying, "Well I don't want to intrude so I think I'll just sit out on the porch and read for a while."

"Amelia," Aiden says, "I could actually use your help today if you don't mind hanging around for a little while."

Amelia looks delighted and drops back into her chair. "Sure, what can I do?" she questions.

"Well, I wanted to start by showing Sookie how to strengthen her shields a bit. She uses a lot of concentration right now to block out thoughts and I think I can show her how to block with very little effort. We could really use a loud thinker to practice on," Aiden says hopefully.

Amelia's shoulders drop a little. She was apparently hoping to help with the magic part of my training and not just by being a loud broadcaster. Aiden quickly picks up on this and continues, "I also got these books yesterday about fae magic and I haven't had a chance to look through them. I thought maybe we could kill two birds with one stone. I'll work with Sookie on the shields while you scour those books for anything about air magic. Then you can tell us what you find and we can start in on some of the magic lessons."

I'm impressed with Aiden's quick thinking, and Amelia seems happy with the arrangement, so we all agree to get started. It's a beautiful sunny day, so I suggest we move to the porch. Aiden and I take seats in the old rockers and Amelia stretches out on the swing with the pile of books.

We're at it for about an hour, and I have to admit, Aiden's idea to have Amelia reading while we practice is perfect. She is so absorbed with the fae magic books that she's broadcasting super loud, but I don't feel guilty that I'm listening in on any private thoughts since all she's thinking about are the spells and mythology. A couple of times Aiden picks up on something of interest that she's reading and goes over to discuss whatever it is, and I take these opportunities to rest a bit.

By the end of the hour I feel like I have much better control and can slip my shields up and down with ease. Aiden shows me the difference between protecting my thoughts with the shields versus blocking out other people. When I throw up my shields the way I have been using them, it's like a wall that blocks all thoughts coming in or out of my mind. But he shows me that I can focus on the individual energy bubbles of people's minds and block them one at a time. He has me practice by taking turns protecting just my thoughts but listening to his and Amelia, or blocking just him or Amelia one at a time. I really felt like I have so much better control and a better understanding for how my telepathy works.

We're all getting hungry and we decide to order a pizza so we can move on to the magic training. We take our little party to the kitchen and the first thing Aiden has me do is show him my progress with the candle. I'm excited to show him how good I've become at it. He lights the candle for me and I sit down in front of it. I put it out with ease and beam with pride.

"That's great, Sookie! It looks like you've got that one down," Aiden compliments. "Let's move on to trying to sustain it for a longer period of time."

Aiden digs around in his bag and produces a feather. "See if you can lift it and keep it from falling."

It definitely takes some more practice to get this down. I have to find the right balance of energy to lift the feather without blowing it across the room or letting it fall. Once I get it worked out though, it's pretty easy to maintain. I'm having a great time making the feather dance around the kitchen, but I'm interrupted when the pizza delivery guy rings the doorbell. Aiden insists on paying, much to my chagrin.

"Sookie, you've already fed me lunch and dinner, let me take care of it this time," he argues.

I sulk a little and try to insist, but eventually give in and let him pay.

"Thank you, muirnín," he whispers as he brushes his lips on my cheek. He pays the delivery guy and as we make our way back to the kitchen he says, "Now you just have to let me take you to dinner some night and we'll be even."

I brush off his comment with a smile, not quite ready to discuss a "date" with him yet. I'm still feeling a little guilty about this morning's kiss. I try not to dwell on it now, but I know I'll need to revisit my feelings later.

While we eat, Aiden and Amelia lapse into a discussion about the air magic she found in the fae books. I'm trying to pay attention but I don't really know what any of it means. My ears perk up though when Amelia says she found a section about teleporting.

"I don't really think its safe to try at this point," Amelia explains between bites, "but there's a lot in there about teleporting, specifically in the air elemental magic sections, so I think it might be a possibility for later on."

I'm really excited about the prospect of being able to just poof wherever I want! "That would be so cool!" I exclaim, and Aiden and Amelia laugh. "Just imagine the possibilities. I mean, besides the advantage it would give me to be able to just pop out of a place, think about how much time I could save by not having to drive around! Shreveport alone is like 40 minutes. I wonder if there's any limit to the distance…" I trail off thinking about all the places I would go and the two of them continue analyzing the various passages in the book.

I clean up from lunch while they continue to discuss the next possible course of action for my training. The verdict from my magic mentors seems to be that I should continue with more of the same.

"I think instead of overwhelming you with a bunch of different things, it would be better to master one skill before moving on to the next," Aiden explains. "So I'd like to see if we can get you from levitating the feather to some heavier objects, and maybe see if you can strengthen the short bursts of air you used on the flame."

"Sure, that makes sense. What should we start with?" I ask.

Amelia interrupts, "Hey if you guys don't need me I think I'll head upstairs for a while. Aiden do you mind if I hang on to this one?" she asks, holding up one of his books. "There's a few interesting things I saw in here but didn't get a chance to really read."

"Of course," Aiden says. "You can keep it as long as you need. Thanks again for all of your insight today."

"Yeah, thanks for your help Amelia!" I say and pull her into a hug.

"No problem, Sook, it was fun talking about magic again. It's been a while." Amelia gives us both a wave and makes her way upstairs.

I'm glad Amelia has something to focus on besides cooking and cleaning. She's been doing better lately, but today I felt like I saw a real improvement and not just a superficial one like our weekend in New Orleans. She had fun that day shopping and dancing and being charmed by Rasul, but today it seems like she got back to being herself a bit. I smile to myself, hoping that it will stick.

Aiden pulls me out of my reverie saying, "Ready to get started again?"

"Sure, lets do it."

We practice for the while on the levitating thing. I progress from the feather to a potholder to some of the stones in Aiden's bag, and finally to one of the thinner books he brought over, but that seems to be my limit for now. When Aiden nearly ends up with a lap full of sweet tea as I lose control of the book, we decide its time to move on to the wind gusts. After my incident with Eric's desk, I'm fairly certain I'll be good at this one.

"Maybe we should do this outside," I suggest, weary of a reenactment of last night's mishap.

"Sure," Aiden says, "let me just grab a few things to practice on."

Aiden retrieves a soccer ball and one of those blowup punching bags from his duffle bag. Honest to God, he has a deflated over sized weeble wobble in there. What else does he have in the bag, I wonder? I raise a questioning eyebrow at him while he starts blowing it up.

"What? I saw it in Walmart and it seemed like a good idea," he explains.

I just shake my head and laugh.

It turns out the soccer ball and weeble wobble are both pretty ineffective for my practice. While they do help me with my aim, they're both just too light and soon enough I can send them flying without much effort.

"Ok so maybe it wasn't a very good idea," Aiden admits as we pack everything back into his bag. "I'll try to think of something else for next time. When is next time, anyway?" he asks.

"I'm not sure yet. I want to talk to Sam about my schedule tonight, so I'll call you tomorrow?" I question.

Aiden finishes stowing everything away. "Sure, that'll work."

"I talked to Sam about the duplex, he said he has the one place I told you about furnished and ready to rent. Just stop in sometime to talk to him when you have a chance."

Aiden flashes me that crinkle-eyed grin and says, "That's great! Thanks for setting it up for me, Sookie. Can you tell Sam I'll stop by at lunchtime tomorrow?"

"Of course, I'll let him know tonight. Thanks again for all your help today, and for the necklace," I say and my hand instantly goes to the pendant. "You know I think it did help me. I hadn't really thought about it, but I felt much more in tune today or something."

Huh, I was all impressed with myself today but maybe it was really the pendant's magic and not mine? That sort of discouraged me, but Aiden quickly intervened.

"Sookie, the gemstone's power and the symbolism of the knot don't _create_ any magic. They just, well, do exactly as you said: make you feel more in tune with everything, help your control. It will help you to wear it while your learning, but once you're more comfortable, it shouldn't matter much whether you're wearing it or not." Aiden takes the pendant from my hand and situates it back on against my sternum. "But I do hope that you'll wear it anyway, even when you don't need it anymore."

I smile and press my hand against the pendant, "Of course I'll wear it; I love it." I lean in and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. I make sure to pull back though before it can turn into something more. Aiden flashes a sheepish half smile, gathers up his books, and I walk him out to the front porch.

"Have a good night, muirnín," he calls on his way down the steps. It's the second time he's called me that and I don't know what it means. What's with these guys and their foreign languages?

"You too, Aiden," I call back and turn into the house.

I head for my room to get myself ready for my shift. When I open my closet to grab my uniform, I spot the luggage and gown. I run my hand down the soft chiffon and again admire the beauty of the dress, realizing the color matches my pendant perfectly. I'm overwhelmed by the onslaught of emotions this brings on, and I stumble backwards to sit on the edge of my bed and drop my head into me hands. I've been trying to avoid thinking about my feelings all day, but looking at the dress and pendant opens the floodgates. What am I doing? I've kissed two different guys in the course of two days, that's more action than I've had in the better part of a year!

I start doing a mental pro and con list for Eric and Aiden to try and get my head straight. Aiden seems very sweet. He's gentle and thoughtful, he's been really nice to Amelia and has great manners – Gran would love that about him. And God he's good looking! I start thinking back to our kiss. Oh, there's definitely sparks, I think we have some serious chemistry. And he's mostly human and mortal. I let out a sigh, what girl has to put that on her checklist? Sookie Stackhouse, supe-magnet extraordinaire, that's who. But really, that fact does open up a whole life of possibilities I had resigned myself to stop hoping for: a husband, a family, someone to eat breakfast with, and enjoy a sunny day. I'm getting ahead of myself, I know. I only just met him, I need to be cautious and not rush into things for once.

But it is really nice not feeling like some freak anymore, now that I have someone who not only shares my telepathy but also my fae heritage. He knows so much about the fae and magic and the telepathy; in the few days that I've known him he's taught me a great deal and given me a new sense of confidence in myself. It's wonderful feeling like I have my own strengths and abilities; like I'm not just the fragile human in this dangerous world I've gotten myself ensconced in.

Then there's Eric. How do I even begin? I mean the man is like sex on a stick, he just about oozes passion from every pore. Just hearing his voice - hell just thinking about hearing his voice - makes me squirm. I start thinking back to those kisses, those hands, that gracious plenty…

_Pull yourself together, Stackhouse!_

Ok, sparks. Yes, definitely sparks with Eric. But what about the rest of it? Eric _can_ be kind and thoughtful when he wants to be. True, he doesn't really make much effort to be nice to Amelia or Sam, but he always tries to take care of me and give me the life he thinks I want. He tried to offer me the most normal version of a relationship he could by inviting me to live with him and take care of me. And Eric has definitely been there for me when I needed him. Dallas, Jackson, the Pelts, Andre, I snicker when I remember the pink lycra. He wasn't at the cabin though, and he hasn't been there for the past three months. But he explained all that, kind of. Well, the past three months part of it anyway. He had responsibilities with Victor and the King and was trying to protect me. _Eric loves his little piece of Louisiana more than he'll ever love you… he'll never dump his little area for you. _Quinn's words echo in my mind and my stomach clenches. Was Quinn right? Will I never be able to come first in Eric's life?

I really don't have the time for an emotional breakdown right now, so I revert to my earlier modus operandi and push my feelings back aside so I can get ready for work.

I change my clothes quickly lost in thought. I pull my hair up in a ponytail and head out of my room. Calling goodbye to Amelia, I make my way past the stairs and out the back door.

It's not until I'm halfway to Mertlotte's that I realize I put on shorts instead of my long black pants. Granted it's been warm enough for the summer uniform for weeks, but I haven't bared my legs since before the fairies. I shudder but quickly stop that train of thought before I get sucked down in it. Taking a few deep breaths, I force myself to relax. I need to get my mind on something else, anything else, before I have a panic attack. I notice I've subconsciously wrapped my hand around my pendant while trying to breathe, and that gives me some food for thought. I start wondering if the pendant's connection of mind, body, and spirit, as Aiden said, was helping me get through my episode? Maybe there is more magic in this necklace that he let on? I'm still mulling over the possibilities when I pull up to Merlotte's. I let out a sigh and tuck the pendant in my collar, crisis averted.

I'm still feeling self conscious as I make my way through the employee entrance and into Sam's office, but I'm not hyperventilating so that's good. I open the door to find Sam at his desk.

"Hey, Sookie," he greats from behind his computer. I notice his eyes widen when he glances at my shorts but he quickly reverts his gaze to his monitor.

"Hi, Sam. How's it been today?" I ask while I stow my purse and grab an apron.

Sam flashes me a friendly smile and answers, "It's been pretty steady. You're taking over for Holly. Maddie and Danielle are on with you tonight." He says this all pretty matter-of-factly, but I notice he has a sort of lightheartedness to his tone. Something has Sam in a good mood.

"Alright," I reply. "I guess I ought to get out there then."

"Hang on. How'd it go last night with Eric?" Sam asks.

Good question, I think to myself. "Pretty good, I guess. We got all of the logistics of the summit figured out. I'll be gone from Thursday to sometime Monday during the first week of May. Do you think you'll be able to cover my shifts for me? "

Sam nods and says, "Sure Sook, I'll take care of it."

I hesitate then decide to just get it over with. "I've been thinking about cutting back my hours here in general, if you can get along without me." Sam has a forlorn expression, so I quickly explain. "It's just that I have Niall's inheritance now and I need to make time for training with Aiden and all. I still want to work here and I'll work whenever you need me to, but if you can cut me back to just a few shifts a week?" I leave the question hanging and Sam seems to soften.

"Of course, chere. I love having you here all the time, but I know this is something you need to do. We'll sit down at the end of the night and figure it all out, ok? How is the training going anyway?" Sam questions with his kind eyes raised to mine.

I rush over to his side and wrap him up in a hug, "Thanks for being so understanding, Sam."

Sam returns my hug saying, "Anytime, you know that."

I break from our hug and continue, "The training's going really good. Aiden's shown me some pretty cool stuff. Maybe I can give you a little demo at the end of the night."

Sam smiles and gives me a nod of assent. "Oh, and Aiden's stopping in tomorrow to talk about your rental," I say.

"Ok good, I'll be here all day tomorrow. Now go on, Holly's gonna have a fit if you keep her waiting any longer."

I give Sam one more squeeze and head out to the bar.

The bar starts getting pretty packed as the night wears on, and I figure I should utilize all the minds by practicing my selective blocking. D'Eriq is clearing off a table in my section to make room for some new arrivals, so I shut everyone else out and just let his thoughts come through.

_Ugh, bunch of slobs. _I hear as he wipes up some sauce and fills up his tray. He grabs the cash from the table and steps over to hand it to me with a smile. _hmm haven't seen Sookie in shorts for a while… damn she's got nice legs._ My smile falters and I quickly take the offered money and block his thoughts again.

I had forgotten about my bare legs and the reminder sends me into a panic. I lose my concentration and start picking up disjointed thoughts from all around me.

_I think just one more beer, I'll still be fine to drive… Ow, shit! That knife's really sharp… Should I stop for gas tonight or on my way to work tomorrow… Whew that's a nasty scar he's got…Where the hell's our waitress I'm ready to get out of here… Damn I almost chopped a whole chunk off my finger… Yeah, one more beer's definitely fine…_

Bits and pieces of the thoughts are sticking in my mind… knife, sharp, scar, chopped… I start hyperventilating and make a mad dash for the back door. Doubling over on the steps, I try to breath and clear my thoughts but I keep flashing on the cabin. I remember the feel of the knife filleting away chunks of my flesh, the gleam of their sharp, silver teeth, the sound of their cackling laughter as they enjoyed chopping me up. _Croak froggy. Croak for us._

It's too much. I can't stop the images from coming. It's like my mind is on instant replay. I collapse and everything goes black.

I become vaguely aware of sounds around me, but I can't pull myself out of the darkness.

"Sam, I'm sorry, I just can't. I can't go through this again," Amelia sobs. "I am just starting to feeling whole again myself."

"It's alright, I understand. I'll take care of her, Amelia, don't worry." Sam soothes. "Go back to bed."

So, I'm in my house. I don't remember how I got here though. I guess Sam brought me?

"Merlotte, what happened?" Bill's concerned voice booms through the house.

"I don't know. She passed out or something. I found her on the back steps of the bar and she won't wake up. So I brought her home." The worry in Sam's voice brings me back a little and I try to flutter my eyes open. "She just kept mumbling… I think about those fairies. I thought she was doing better. She was even wearing shorts today and seemed really happy when we talked."

I feel Bill's cool hand brush the hair from my face, "Sweetheart, can you hear me? Are you hurt?"

I can't find my voice to answer him, but I manage to shake my head slightly. He's seems to understand though and lets out a sigh of relief. "You're safe, don't worry," he coos. Bill wraps a blanket around me pulling me to his chest. I let go and start sobbing.

"Shhhh, sweetheart, you're safe. It's alright, you're safe." He just keep repeating that over and over and shushing me while he rocks me back and forth.

"Go on back to your bar, Sam. I'll stay with her till dawn."

Sam comes over and lays a warm hand on my cheek. "Do you want me to call Eric or anything, Sookie?"

I manage to whisper out a "no" and bury my head back in Bill's chest. I don't want Eric here. He'll want to try and get me to talk and I just want to stay silent. I feel safe with Bill, and when it comes to the fairies I feel a kinship with him like we went through it together. He was the one who was there for me then, and he's exactly who I want with me now.

"Alright, I'll come by in the morning," Sam says and makes his way out of the house.

Bill continues to rock and soothe me, whispering assurances. Eventually my sobs quiet and my breathing evens out, and I fall asleep cradled against his chest.


	8. Chapter 8

So after posting that last chapter I was honestly feeling a little depressed. I know this one is super short, but Eric was real mad and kept yelling at me while I shoveled out my car and did my grocery shopping, and I reall just couldn't ignore him any longer.

I'll post a longer chapter soon. Thanks again for all the feedback, and please keep it coming!

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

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**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 8**

I wake up at some point before dawn and immediately miss the comfort of Bill's embrace. I can sense that he is still nearby though, in the living room I think. I feel a swell of anger that is not my own rise up inside me right as I hear my front door slam and Eric growl.

"Compton, what the hell are you doing here?" Eric snarls.

"Lower you voice, Eric," Bill whispers, "you'll wake her."

"I asked you a question," Eric hisses in a lower tone.

I hear Bill sigh in a deflated way before he continues. "The shifter brought her home unconscious a few hours ago. Apparently she collapsed at work but we don't know why. Physically there is nothing wrong with her, but when she finally came to, she started sobbing for nearly two hours before she fell back to sleep."

Wow, I hadn't realized I was crying for so long.

Bill tacks on reluctantly, "He said she was mumbling something about the fairies when he found her."

I cringe at the reminder and wrap myself into a tight ball.

"I do not understand. I could feel her sudden panic and fear but then it seemed to settle down for a while. I thought it was just another nightmare. I was coming over to check on her." Eric sounds disheartened as he says this and I feel a twinge of guilt for refusing to have Sam call him. "If I find out that damned fairy tutor has something to do with this…" he growls and trails off.

"Fairy tutor?" Bill questions.

"Yes, _Aiden_," Eric hisses the name with distaste. "Niall sent him to train her in fae magic and to work with her on her telepathy. Pam met him the other night but gave very few details."

"Ah, the diluted fairy scent I've been picking up. I reported that to Pam and she told me it was not a threat."

"Yes, well, we did not think so at the time. And she seemed so proud of her new abilities last night; I thought it might actually prove to be good for her. But if this is the outcome after _training_ with him all day, I will be rethinking my judgment."

Bill interjects, "The shifter said she seemed happy this evening. She was even wearing shorts." Bill says the last part with significance that is apparently lost on Eric.

"What the hell does her wearing shorts have to do with any of this?" Eric asks sharply.

Bill explains, "She has been reluctant to show any skin since her kidnapping. She only just stopped wearing long sleeves a few weeks ago. Merlotte said when the other girls switched to the summer uniform she nearly broke down asking if she could keep wearing the pants." He pauses then adds, "He said she is afraid to expose her scars."

I wince and tuck the blanket tightly around myself.

"That is absurd, she has no scars. I bathed her skin in so much of my blood while she was healing; it even began fading the scars from the Maenad and from Jackson." Eric huffs, "And why was I not aware of this before now?"

Bill stays silent. I'd like to know the answer to that one myself. Why does Bill seem to know so much more about what's going on with me than Eric?

"I don't know, Eric."

"And why did you not call me when she was brought home tonight?" Eric questions.

Bill hesitates, but replies, "She told us not to call you."

Shit. I freeze and wait for the explosion, but it doesn't come. What Eric does say is so much worse.

"She did not want me?" he asks quietly and the sadness overwhelms me through the bond. He quickly reigns it in though and growls, "I am her bonded and your sheriff! You are under orders to report to me!"

There's the explosion.

"You forget your place," Eric spits. "Perhaps I helped you recovered to quickly from the silver poisoning for you to have a true appreciation for the pain it entails. Shall I provide a reminder?"

I gasp aloud at Eric's threat and their voices cease.

After a moment, Bill says softly, "She is awake, shall I leave?"

Eric curses under his breathe and whispers, "No, stay. She does not want me here, I do not want to upset her even more."

I'm so angry at his threat to Bill, but I can't ignore the twinge of pain and regret I feel from him. I slide out of bed, wrapping the blanket around myself, and push open my door.

"Eric," I call softly. "You don't have to go."

He takes in the sight of me and his eyes soften. I'm sure I look like a total mess. I can feel the puffiness of my eyes and my ponytail is all askew. But the look he's giving me and the feelings of calm and… love? he's pushing at me through the bond wash all of my concerns away.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to wake you," he says softly taking a tentative step toward me.

"I'll be leaving then," Bill interrupts. "Unless you want me to stay, Sookie?" he questions and Eric narrows his eyes.

I take the few steps over to Bill and wrap him in a hug. "Thank you for being there for me tonight, you're a great friend, Bill. I'm ok now, though."

Bill plants a chaste kiss on my forehead whispering, "I'll always be there for you, Sookie. I won't ever let you down again."

I flash Bill my best attempt at a grateful smile, but I think it may have come out as more of a wince, and I walk over to Eric as Bill leaves.

"Lover," he purrs and opens his arms to wrap me up in them.

Bill is a great friend, and he really did make me feel better tonight, but Eric is hands-down the best cuddler I have ever encountered. Between the security I feel being surrounded by his strong body, and the comfort and reassurance he smothers me in through the bond, I don't know that it would be possible to feel safer anywhere else in the world.

Eric scoops me up and carries me back to bed.

"Eric?" I murmur.

"Hmmm?" he hums as he nuzzles his nose into my neck.

Timidly, I ask, "Will you stay here and just hold me tonight?"

"Of course, Lover," he purrs and faster than I can comprehend he is spooned in behind me wearing nothing but his boxers. He wraps his arms tightly around me and tucks my head under his chin, and I let out a contented sigh. Eric hums softly while sleep pulls me under.


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

* * *

**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 9**

I wake on Wednesday morning, well, afternoon apparently as my bedside clock reads 1:18, and begin replaying the events of the previous day. My first thought is that I really need to stop kissing people. In the past 48 hours I've kissed two different guys and fell asleep in the arms of two vampires. Granted, there was nothing but friendship with Bill, but with Aiden and Eric? I need to rein it in and get my head straight before I get swept up in the moment again. So I make a vow to myself: no more kissing!

Next, I start thinking over the breakdown I had. I've had no false notions that I was over the events of the fairy war, but I can't believe I was so deeply affected last night. I know the trigger was my bare legs, and logically, I realize that's completely irrational. Eric was right. Between the amount of blood I drank and the amount he had drenched my skin in, even my old scars had faded a bit and no new ones had appeared. But when I expose that much skin; I just _remember_ what I had looked like. I remember the look on Eric's face when he checked me over in Dr. Lugwig's hospital bed, and I cringe at the mere thought. I need to take baby steps, I decide, make a concerted effort to improve my mental state a little every day. I think my training is helpful and will make me feel safer, less of a victim in this crazy world I've become a part of. So I make the decision to work toward getting over this skin-baring phobia and to put some serious effort into my training a little bit everyday.

Satisfied with my new outlook, I pull myself out of bed. I take in my appearance in my dresser mirror and gasp. I look awful! Crying myself to sleep last night had certainly taken its toll. While pressing on the puffiness around my eyes, I notice a note and my pendant sitting on top of the dresser. I pick up the note and start reading.

_Lover,_

_I do not know what happened to you last night, but I wish to discuss it. I am spending the day in the hidey-hole and hope we can talk when I rise. I would also like to meet this tutor of yours if you can arrange it._

_I removed your necklace while you were sleeping. I can smell magic on it and am concerned. I thought it best to get it off of you until I know what sort of magic it possesses._

_Until tonight,_

_E._

Aiden and Eric in the same room, that should be… interesting. I pick up the pendant and look it over. Aiden said it didn't have any magic of it's own, but Eric seems to think otherwise. I decide to take Eric's advice and not wear it until I learn more. I'll need to talk to Aiden later, but right now I just want to take a shower and wash away all traces of last night. I make my way toward my bathroom and hear voices coming from the kitchen. I lower my shields and scan the house, picking up three brains: Amelia, Sam, and Aiden. I let out a frustrated sigh. I really just want to be left alone. I don't care if it's bad manners; I'm taking a long, hot shower before setting foot out of my room.

I take my time showering and drying my hair. I apply a bit of concealer under my eyes and dress in a pair of comfy black yoga pants and a grey t-shirt. Satisfied with my appearance, I make my way out to the kitchen. Thankfully, I smell fresh coffee when I walk in the room to find Amelia, Sam, and Aiden sitting around the table. I head straight for the coffee pot, acknowledging their presence with a general, "good morning." Aiden stands from his seat as I cross the room, and is the first to speak.

"Sookie, good morning. Are you feeling better?" he asks with a fair amount of concern in his voice. I assume Sam filled him in on my night.

"Yes, thank you I'm feeling much better," I say. "What are you guys doing here?" I try not to make it sound rude, but it may have come out that way.

Sam explains that he was coming to check on me, and Aiden says he had tried to find Sam at the bar to talk about the rental and was told he was at me house.

"What happened last night, chere?" Sam questions. Eric's concern pops in my head. Before I start trying to explain what happened last night, I ask, "Aiden, are you certain there isn't any magic in that pendant?"

He looks taken aback at my question, but quickly reassures me, "No, Sookie, I told you there is no magic in that necklace but your own. Why are you concerned about the pendant? What happened?" he asks.

I finish fixing my coffee and take a seat at the table before responding. Sam gives my hand a squeeze as I sit down and I notice Amelia seems lost in thought, swirling the tealeaves around in the bottom of her cup. Aiden resumes his seat as I take mine, and I decide to answer his first question.

"Eric took the pendant off me last night because he was concerned about the scent of magic he picked up from it. And I can't help wondering if it had anything to do with what happened last night," I tell him.

"What did happen, Sook?" Sam questions. "D'Eriq said you just went running out of the bar, and when I found you unconscious I couldn't get you to wake up."

I wasn't sure how to explain because I honestly couldn't make much sense of it myself. "I don't understand what happened. I lost control of my shields and started picking up all these stray thoughts, then the memories of the fairies were just bombarding me and I panicked. The next thing I knew I was back here."

No one says anything for a while, but I notice Amelia flinch and close her eyes. I probably shouldn't, but I dip into her mind to see what she's thinking. Hearing her thoughts brings tears to my eyes. She's thinking about leaving, moving back to New Orleans because she doesn't want to keep reliving this. I blink back my tears and turn my attention back to Sam and Aiden.

"I just can't help thinking it had something to do with the pendant. I haven't had a strong reaction to the memories like that in months," I explain.

Aiden seems to mull that over for a minute and finally says, "I guess, if you were repressing some serious emotional trauma, the pendant may have helped your mind to release it. It enhances the connection between your conscious and subconscious, so maybe it brought things to the forefront of your mind that you were ignoring." He takes my hand and looks into my eyes, saying "I'm so sorry, Sookie, I never meant to make things worse. My intent was to give you more control, not for you to be overwhelmed like that."

He looks truly upset and I really think he's being genuine. I believe him, I decide. I don't think he meant any harm. His opinion of how it might have brought about a stronger reaction and made my memories more vivid sort of makes sense to me. If the pendant enhances my ability to let me tap into and strengthen some of my hidden talents, I could see how it would also cause me to tap into some of my buried memories and make them stronger as well. It might also explain why I gave in to my desire to kiss Aiden yesterday. Hmm, I'll tuck that away to think about later.

"Maybe I should only wear it when I'm training, or until I can get things under control a little better," I say and Aiden seems relieved.

"I think that's probably a good idea," he agrees. "It definitely seemed to give you better control yesterday, so maybe just wear it when you're very focused on your magic and not when you're out and can be distracted by so many different thoughts."

Sam rises from his chair and says, "Well, I really need to get back to the bar. I just wanted to make sure you were ok."

I stand too and pull Sam into a hug. "Thanks for everything, Sam." He returns my embrace, says goodbye to Aiden and Amelia, and heads out to his truck.

"I should probably go too, I think you could use a break from the training for a day," Aiden says rising from the table.

I remember Eric's request to meet Aiden and hesitate. I know I should just get this over with, I mean they have to meet sometime, right? May as well get all this stress over with at once. I let out a resigned sigh and ask, "Aiden, could you come back later tonight? Eric wants to meet you."

I hold my breath waiting for his answer. He gives me a half smile and says, "Sure, I figured he'd want to at some point. What time do you want me?"

I think it over for a minute. Sunset is around 7:30 and I figure I should give Eric a chance to have some blood and ask the questions he undoubtedly has for me, so I say, "How about 9:00?"

"Sure, I'll see you then, muirnín." Aiden leans in for a kiss and I turn slightly so it lands on my cheek. He looks a little rueful but doesn't saying anything about it. We say goodbye, and once he's gone I turn my attention to Amelia. I don't think she's said a word since I walked in the room, and I'm not really sure what to say to her. She's back to absently swirling her teacup.

I take a seat next to her and she looks up at me. She looks so sad. "Amelia, what's wrong?"

She opens her mouth to say something but then stops. I resist dipping into her mind again and wait for her to decide what she wants to tell me.

"I'm just tired, is all. I think I'll go lie down for a while, maybe try to take a nap," she finally says and gets up to put her cup away.

I want to talk to her, to reassure her that I'll be fine and won't keep bringing up the past, that she can stay and doesn't need to move away. But I don't say anything. I just nod my head and let her walk out of the room. As soon as she's upstairs, a few tears spill over and roll down my face.

I sit there for a while just sort of staring off in a daze. Finally shaking myself, I decide I need to get up and be productive and stop sulking. I realize I need to pick up some blood for Eric and some groceries for myself and I have a bunch of laundry to do. It's almost 3:00 so I have a few hours to kill before sunset, and I spend it doing all those monotonous tasks.

By the time I finish everything, it's about a half hour before sunset. Amelia had come down about an hour ago and said she was heading out for the night, so I make myself dinner wrapping up a plate for her in case she comes home hungry, and I eat while I wait for Eric. I'm just cleaning up my dishes when I feel him waking up. I pop a blood in the microwave so it's warm when he comes in.

"Thank you," Eric says as he walks in the kitchen and I hand him the bottle. He puts it on the counter and gathers me up in his arms. "Are you feeling better tonight?" he asks burying his nose in my hair.

"I am, much better in fact. Thank you for staying with me last night." I put my hands on his chest and push back a little so I can look at him. "And thank you for the gifts. I didn't get a chance to thank you last night. The dress is beautiful."

Eric gives me an appraising look and raises a questioning eyebrow. "That is it? No argument? You will just accept them?"

With a huff I separate myself from him, grab my glass of tea, and sit at the table. "You don't have to tease me about it, Eric. Yes, I'm graciously accepting your gifts. I appreciate them, so thank you." I raise my eyebrows in challenge and wait to see if he's done.

He narrows his eyes at me for a minute, then his lips quirk up into a satisfied grin as he grabs his blood and sits across from me. "You're quite welcome," he says, but then his expression changes to a serious one. "Now, will you explain to me what happened last night?"

I explain the events just as I did to Sam and Aiden earlier, adding in the part about what Aiden said regarding the pendant. "So I think I reacted so strongly because the pendant was making me so much more in tune with my emotions, just like it makes me more in tune with my telepathy and magic. I'm not going to wear it any more unless I'm focused on training though."

Eric scowls and says, "I do not like you wearing it at all. I would rather you were not influenced by magic even when you are training, I don't trust it."

I'm a little apprehensive about wearing too, especially around Aiden if it's going to make my emotions more intense. But I really want to strengthen my magic and telepathy, and if it helps with that, then I'm not ready to give it up just yet.

"I'll be careful," I say dismissively and Eric continues to scowl but doesn't say anything else on the topic.

"I did not realize you were still so affected by your memories. After those first few weeks you seemed much better," Eric says.

"I am much better then I was," I tell him. Then I reluctantly add, "And I'm sure when you were here with me I seemed fine. I always felt pretty good then because I felt safe."

His face barely changes, but I feel his remorse through the bond. I quickly try to reassure him, "Eric, I understand why you had to stay away. I do. I was angry and hurt, but I get it now. Besides, it's not like it's your responsibility to take care of me or anything anyway."

At that I feel his remorse change to anger. "You are my bonded, it _is_ my responsibility to take care of you."

I roll my eyes saying, "That's ridiculous. I don't expect you to hold my hand and make everything go away. And you did help me; you healed me physically. Now the rest is up to me to fix."

Eric hesitates then cautiously says, "I could make it all go away, if that is truly what you want."

I stare at him blankly. How could he possibly think he could make it just go away? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. He can't make Claudine come back, or Trey. Or take back the memories that are etched in my brain. I laugh and tell him as much.

"No, I cannot make them come back, but I can take away the memories, if you would let me. My glamour worked on you in Jackson because you allowed it to. I could…"

I cut him off sharply, "No. Absolutely not, Eric, I'm not letting you mess with my brain. I'll figure out how to get over it on my own." Was he kidding me?

He lets out a resigned sigh and says, "I figured you would not want me to, but I wanted to offer regardless, just to be sure. It would make things easier for you though." I give him a warning look and he changes tracks. "You do realize that you don't have any scars on you, right?"

"Yes, Eric. Rationally I know that." I'm not sure how to explain so it makes sense. I subconsciously wrap my arms around my self as I continue, "It's just, whenever I show my skin, or especially when other people look at my bare flesh, I just remember what it did look like. It's like the wounds are back in excruciating detail and I go into a panic. I know they're not really there, but in the moment, I lose sight of what's real." I shudder thinking about it. "But I'm going to work to get over it. I know it's not real and I think if I work hard enough I can get over it."

"You really do not have to do this on your own. I will do whatever I can to help you," Eric says quietly.

"So far, the one thing that has really made me feel better in all this time is my training. It's the first time I've really felt good about myself in a while. Having my own means of protecting myself without having to rely on someone else, it just makes me feel like I'm not helpless, you know?"

A wicked smile suddenly stretches across Eric's face, and I have to say I'm a little worried about what he's thinking. "You know, Lover, I was quite intrigued by your request the other night. Care to explain what exactly you mean by requiring a sword-fighting tutor?"

I blush furiously remembering my brazenness and his note, and say, "uh, yeah, give me just one sec and I'll explain that." I take off for my room leaving a smirking Eric in the kitchen. I dig in the back of my closet behind the new luggage and pull out Nauda's sword. By the time I get back to the kitchen, I feel like I've recovered and can talk to Eric with a straight face again.

I unwrap the bundle and hand Eric the sword. He pulls it from the sheath and looks over it carefully, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Have you ever heard of King Nauda's Sword of Light?" I ask and Eric eyes go wide. He re-examines the handle of the sword running his fingers over the intricate brass guard.

"Is this?" he begins and I nod. "How did you come to possess Nauda's sword? Do you have any idea what this is?"

I explain about Niall's letter and what Aiden said about the sword's history. Eric nods in agreement at the description, saying he has heard the same legends. When I get to the part about the four islands and the tie that Nauda's descendants have to air magic, it all seems to click into place for Eric much as it did for me.

"So apparently, as long as I am wielding this sword, I can't lose. Aiden was worried about me having no experience though and trying to use it, so I thought maybe you could teach me?" I question. "It would really be a shame to have a weapon like that and drop it or something because I don't know how to even swing the thing," I add cringing a bit at my remembered dream.

Eric's expression changes from a look of serious contemplation while I was explaining about the sword to one of absolute delight. "Of course I will help you. When I am through, you will be a modern Valkyrie," he says with pride.

I laugh a little at his promise. "I'll just be content if I can hang on to the thing," I say, but I can already see that Eric has switched into ancient Viking warrior mode and by the glow in his eyes, I can almost imagine the battles his is replaying in his mind.

"Let's start now," he says enthusiastically jumping up from his seat. "I don't have a sword with me to show you anything defensive, but I can teach you how to properly hold it and how to strike."

I glance at the clock, 8:15. Aiden should be here at 9:00. "Sure, we have a little time," I say standing to clear my glass and Eric's bottle from the table.

"Time until what?" Eric questions.

"Until Aiden gets here. You said you wanted to meet him, right?" I ask.

Eric's eyes narrow a bit and he says, "Ah, yes, the fairy tutor. Delightful."

"You had better be nice to him, Eric. He's really put himself out coming all this way just to help me," I tell him sternly.

He sneers, but says, "I will be on my best behavior. I only want to speak to him."

I open my mouth to impress the point further, but then think better of it. It's not like Eric would actually listen to me anyway. Instead I ask, "Where should we do this? Outside?"

"Yes, I think outside is best. The light is better out front," he says and gathers up the sword leading me out the front door.

Once outside, we go to a flat spot in the front of the house where the security light illuminates the area well. Eric hands me the sword and says, "Here, I want to see how you would naturally hold it."

I used to play softball in high school, so I instinctually grab the handle of the sword like I would if it were a bat. Eric looks over my grip with a critical eye and says, "It's a start." He takes the sword from me and holds the blade in his hand offering me the handle. "Grab the hilt with your right hand, just below the guard."

I do as he says and he nods in approval. "Good, now grip the pummel with your left hand." He guides my hand to the bottom of the handle. "Leave your thumb and index finger a little loose but tighten up the others. You should be doing the bulk of the holding with those fingers on your left hand. The right hand does the guiding and the left does the work."

I nod my understanding and Eric moves around behind me. He guides my legs apart so my right leg is slightly forward, and then wraps his arms around me and pulls my hands down toward my stomach. "You should hold it so the pommel is just above your navel but away from you a bit, don't rest it against your stomach. Aim the blade up so if your attacker rushes you, you will hit him between the sternum and the throat." He steps away from me to assess my stance.

Holding the sword gives me such a sense of power! I can feel its magic coursing through my veins and I feel completely invincible. I grin wickedly in delight and Eric's eyes begin to glow as he takes in the sight of me. I can hardly control my urge to start slashing the sword, and I have an overwhelming desire to feel the blade as it slices something in two. Eric seems to pick up on my feelings and asks, "Do you have any emotional attachment to that apple tree?" nodding toward the tree in question.

I shake my head and his smile widens.

"Come." Eric beckons me toward a medium sized branch that's growing off the trunk about 4 feet above the ground. He positions me in front of it and I resume the stance he put me in before. "Good. Now keep your weight on the balls of your feet, and when you strike, stab at the sky, bringing your left hand up past your eye. Then come down using your right hand to guide the blade." He stretches my arms out to show me what he means. "Push with your left foot and slide your right foot on the ground as you raise the sword"

I nod again. I'm much too excited by the amazing feeling of the magic pumping through me to speak. Eric pulls the sheath from the blade and takes a step back out of the way, and I go at it.

The feeling of thrusting the sword is incredible, but I have to say I'm a little disappointed at the result. I had expected that I would be able to slice the branch clean off, but I just hack it up a bit. Granted, there is a nasty looking gash in the branch now, but still, a little anticlimactic.

"What did I do wrong?" I ask and turn to Eric.

His eyes are really glowing now and he shakes himself a bit before answering me. "You did everything perfectly. You just need to give it more force. Don't be afraid to really let loose," he encourages and I scowl a little. I thought I had been giving it a lot of force.

I resume my stance and steel my determination. I let the magic wash over me again, breathing it in and closing my eyes to bask in the feeling. I visualize the sword slashing through the branch and watching it fall to the ground. I open my eyes and pinpoint exactly where I want to strike. Taking a deep breath, I thrust the sword again letting out an animalistic cry as I lunge forward. This time, just as I had imagined a moment ago, the sword cuts clear through the branch and I watch it fall to the ground with a thud.

Beaming, I look over at Eric, and I am almost knocked over by the intensity of his gaze. His eyes are like scorching embers, his fangs fully down, and I am hit with the strongest swell of lust and pride, it nearly overwhelms me. Eric is on me in a flash. The air rushes out of my lungs in a burst and the sword falls to the ground as Eric pins me against the tree trunk, grabbing my thighs and wrapping my legs around his waist. "Mina gudar, kvinna," he roars before ravaging me with his mouth. I pull away gasping to refill my lungs and he moves his attention to my neck. I'm so hopped up with the indestructible feeling of the magic and the overpowering lust washing over me, that I let out a moan leaning my head back against the tree.

A little voice in the back of my mind is whispering something to me about a vow, and Eric chooses that moment to drop us to the ground and resume his assault on my mouth. He pushes his hardness against my nub, and the weight of him causes my lower back to grind against a root or rock that's below me. "Ow!" I cry out and Eric pulls back immediately.

Thankfully, this brings me to my senses. I already broke my vow, dammit!

I put my hands on Eric's chest and try to keep him off me. "Stop, Eric, we need to stop," I say breathlessly. His eyes are still burning, but he sits back and I can feel him trying to calm himself. After a moment I push up on my elbows and ask, "What the hell was that all about?" I think I'm as much asking myself as him.

He runs a hand through his hair and with a sinful leer says, "I could barely contain myself watching you wield that sword, but when I heard your battle cry, all hope of control was instantly lost." Eric glances over at the branch laying on the ground next to us then back at me saying, "You are incredible, Lover. Odin himself would carry you straight off to Valhalla."

I grin and exclaim, "Eric, that was the most amazing feeling! The magic! I can feel it coursing through me when I hold the sword. It's indescribable!"

Eric laughs and pulls me to my feet saying, "I think I am going to enjoy this tutoring business." He picks up the sword from where I had dropped it looking over the blade. He straightens up suddenly and with a mischievous look asks, "Would you mind if I tried?"

I smile and take a few steps back gesturing toward the tree in invitation. He grins and turns to the tree.

I notice Eric doesn't hold the sword in two hands as he had me hold it. Instead it is firmly gripped only in his right hand. He takes a similar stance though, and with a flourish begins swinging the sword in intricate patterns as he steps around the tree. Car headlights making their way down my driveway illuminate his movements, but I'm too mesmerized to look away and see who's approaching. He is incredibly graceful as he moves, slicing through branches with ease. When he's completed his path once around the tree, he finishes with one last quick thrust at the stump left from my branch, shearing it off flush with the trunk.

I understand his earlier reaction now, because it's taking all of my self-control not to pounce on him. I can practically see him as he was 1,000 years ago, clad in leather with his hair in a braid. I'm sure even as a human he was quiet the force to be reckoned with. He turns to face me, fangs down and with a knowing smirk, and I hear a car door shut behind me. I'm still too lost in my trance though to turn and see who it is.

"Most people would just use pruning shears, muirnín." Aiden calls from behind me.

I shake myself and turn to face him, still a bit slack jawed. "Aiden, hi," I breath out in greeting.

He walks up to me and brushes a kiss on my cheek. "Hello. Can I ask why the vampire is hacking up your apple tree?" he asks with a laugh. "You're a mess," he continues, brushing leaves from my back and pulling one from my hair.

I tense, feeling a surge of anger coming from Eric. Quickly stepping away from Aiden, I brush off my back and gesture toward Eric. "Aiden, this is Eric. He was just teaching me how to use Nauda's sword." I turn to Eric and find him glaring at Aiden with an ice-cold stare; the fire that was in his eyes moments ago is replaced with something much deadlier. Fangs down, he's clenching a fist around the handle of the sword so hard that his knuckles look even whiter than the rest of him. Uh oh.

I reach my hand out to rest on Eric's sword-baring forearm and try to push calm through the bond. "Eric, this is Aiden."

Aiden takes in the sight of Eric and swallows audibly before giving him a polite nod. Eric, on the other hand, just continues to stare. I run my hand down his arm to where his fist is clasped around the sword, and step in front of him. Looking straight up to his eyes, I say, "Let's put this away and go inside for a drink." Eric's so much taller though; he just continues to stare over my head.

He does seem to snap out of it a bit though, and loosens his grip but doesn't let go of the sword. I shake his hand a little and grab the guard of the sword with the other hand. He looks down at me like he just noticed I was standing there and I raise my eyebrows, quietly whispering "best behavior?"

Eric sighs and releases the sword. I gather up the sheath from the ground and slip it on, gesturing for them both to follow me. "Come on inside, we can sit in the living room." Finally, Eric seems to have calmed himself down enough to move, and the two of them follow me in the house.

"I'll get us drinks, have a seat," I say gesturing toward the living room. "Aiden, sweet tea? Wine?" I ask.

"Wine sounds great," he says and I have to agree. I'm going to need a drink to get through this evening.

"I'll just be a minute," I call and escape to the kitchen.

I put a true blood in the microwave and get our wine poured. As much as I want to prolong my time in the kitchen, I'm worried about leaving those two alone. I quickly gather up our drinks and head back to the living room.

As I walk into the room, I find Eric leaning from the sofa toward Aiden, and I catch the end of Eric's whispered threat, "…will rip you limb from limb." Oh dear.

I hand a white-faced Aiden his wine glass with an apologetic smile and he stutters out a "Thanks." I walk over in front of Eric and scowl, slamming his blood on the coffee table in front of him, then take a seat in the rocker across from them both. Eric picks up his bottle and nods to me saying, "Thank you, Lover." Best behavior my ass!

Eric doesn't seem the least bit phased, and leaning back against the couch, he asks in a very polite tone, "So, Aiden, tell me what you are teaching my Sookie."

Aiden seems to have recovered himself and he begins explaining the magic he's taught me so far. "I think as she progresses, she will be able to create a strong enough burst to throw a person away from her."

Eric laughs and glances over at me saying, "Yes, she seems quiet adept at that particular skill." I laugh a little too.

Aiden continues, "Her levitating is coming along nicely, I think eventually she could even have you floating about the room," he says with a proud smile looking over at me. I snicker a little imagining Eric dangling around the room.

Eric grins at me and says, "I already can levitate, lover, but you can use my body for practice if you like."

"Yes, well," Aiden continues, "I think these skills will work well defensively, but we haven't touched on anything offensive yet."

The three of us lapse into easy conversation discussing the possible magic I will be able to do. Eric actually is on his best behavior now, he's surprisingly polite (other than the occasional leer or innuendo) and Aiden seems to take it all in stride. By about 10:30 we've run out of training topics to discuss and Eric stands.

"I need to get to Fangtasia, and I am sure you are getting tired, Lover." Eric says and Aiden takes the hint standing up as well.

"Yes, you should get your rest, muirnín." Aiden adds, "You're working the lunch shift tomorrow, right?"

I stand too and tell them, "I am. Sam and I still need to talk about my new schedule beyond tomorrow's shift though, but he agreed to cut back my hours so I can focus on training."

Eric interjects, "I will come by tomorrow evening to continue what we started tonight." He waggles his eyebrows and I roll my eyes.

"Sounds good. I really appreciate you both teaching me all of this, it really makes me feel better." I smile at both of them.

Eric and Aiden reply simultaneously. Aiden saying, "I'm happy to," with a smile, and Eric saying, "It is my pleasure," with a leer.

"Well, good night," I say to them both, but I must have been crazy to think this pissing contest would be over so easily.

Aiden pulls me toward him first, whispering "good night," and I pull him into a tight hug before he has a chance to try for any kissing. I let go quickly though and take a step back. He hangs on to my hand though and plants a kiss there before walking toward the front door.

Eric grabs me with that damn vampire speed and pulls me in close. He buries his head in my neck murmuring, "I cannot wait to see you again with that sword, my little Valkyrie." He nips the soft spot on my neck just below my ear sending chills down my spine and chuckles softly when I shiver before he releases me.

Still laughing softly, he saunters off toward the back door. Once they're both gone I drop back into my chair and take a big gulp of the wine left in my glass, then I clean up our glasses and Eric's bottle, gather up my sword, and lock up before going to bed. Before I fall asleep, I promise myself that I will do a better job keeping my vow tomorrow.

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Thanks again for all the reviews and words of encouragement! I'm sorry I haven't responded to them, but I have read every one and appreciate them all. I think I figured out how to reply though, so if you keep them coming I will thank you all individually! :)


	10. Chapter 10

I know, another chapter already! I must either really love you guys or really be obsessed... perhaps a bit of both ;) This is my longest chapter so far, and I hope you all enjoy! Thanks again for all the reviews and words of encouragement, I truly appreciate each and every one and hope you all continue sharing your thoughts with me!

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

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**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 10**

I wake up Thursday morning in an excellent mood. The meeting between Eric and Aiden last night didn't go nearly as bad as I had expected. But I guess when you expect the worst you really can't be disappointed. Of course there was the death threat, and a fair amount of territorial Sookie feuding… but really, all in all, it could have been worse.

I quickly shower and start getting ready for my day. Remembering my promise to myself to take baby-steps, I forego the black pants and pull on a pair of black capris instead. Once I've donned my Merlotte's t-shirt, pulled back my hair, and put on a touch of makeup, I decide I look pretty darn good and I smile at myself in approval.

I head to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast to find Amelia sitting at the kitchen table. She still looks pretty sullen, but I stay out of her head. I'm hoping that we both woke up feeling a little better this morning and maybe she's rethinking yesterday's concerns.

"Good morning, Amelia," I call as I fix myself a cup of coffee.

Morning, Sookie," she replies without much enthusiasm. "Do you think you could give this back to Aiden when you see him? I've read the parts I wanted to read," she asks handing me his fae-magic book.

I look at the book with a frown, but try to stay upbeat so she sees that I'm doing better. "Sure thing. I don't know when we're meeting up again, but I'll give it to him the next time I see him."

Amelia stands from her seat, clearing her dishes from the table and says, "He called this morning. He said to tell you he would stop by at the end of your shift this afternoon." Then without another word she turns to walk out of the room.

"Ok, thanks for delivering the message," I call as she walks out.

Well, so much for that. I guess she's still upset about the other night. It's clear she doesn't want to talk but I want to reassure her that she doesn't need to leave. I decide I will give her the day to herself but when I get back from my shift I'll try to sit her down for a talk.

I eat my breakfast and clean up the kitchen, and soon I'm on my way into work. Stashing my purse and Aiden's book in Sam's office, I greet him with a big smile.

"Hey, Sookie. You seem to be in a good mood today. Feeling better?" Sam asks taking in my upbeat attitude.

"I am, thanks for asking. So, how's it going?" I question, and Sam and I exchange pleasantries and town gossip for a few minutes.

Eventually, Sam says, "Sook, I know I told you we'd talk about your new schedule the other night, but I had to get it written and didn't want to bother you."

"That's ok, I'm sure whatever you came up with is fine," I reassure him. "So what am I scheduled for?"

Sam seems to hesitate for a minute, but then pushes the schedule across his desk for me to see. The last schedule ended with me working Friday night and Saturday lunch, and next week he has me on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, just for lunch shifts. Hmm, no dinner shifts. We make the best tips at dinner of course, but I don't really need the money now. I just want to keep myself busy and feel productive, and I think it will be pretty nice to have a days-only schedule.

"This looks great Sam. Thanks," I tell him enthusiastically.

He seems a little taken back by my reaction and says, "You're really ok with it?" I nod back with a smile and he explains, "The other girls didn't want to take on any extra lunch shifts, said it wasn't worth the pay to get sitters and all. But it's only for a week, we can change it later if you want."

"No its fine Sam, really. If I change my mind I'll let you know but I think I'll like having my nights off." I finally manage to convince him that I really am ok with it and leave his office to start working.

The afternoon goes quickly and before long, Aiden's walking in the door. I'm not quite done my shift yet, but I go over to talk to him for a minute.

Aiden greets me with a kiss on the cheek and says, "I know I'm early, but I wanted to stop in to see Sam and get the keys to the house he's renting me. I thought I'd get something to eat and just hang around till you're done." Aiden explains.

I smile and say, "Sure, that sounds great. Sam's in his office." I point him in the right direction, and Aiden takes off to talk to Sam while I make the rounds to check on my tables.

I'm just clearing off a table when Aiden walks up again. "Mind if I sit here?" he asks gesturing to the table.

"Of course, have a seat. What can I get you?" I pull out my pad and pen to take his order.

"Ice tea," he says and starts looking over the menu, "and… what do you recommend?" he asks looking up.

"Well, my favorite is the Burger Lafayette, its sort of our specialty," I suggest.

Aiden folds up the menu and hands it back to me saying, "I'll give it a try."

I jot down his order and flash him a smile saying, "Coming right up!"

As I'm putting in his order, I feel the brush of Aiden's thoughts and lower my block just on his mind's bubble of energy, keeping everyone else in the bar shut out.

_I know you're working, but I thought maybe we could practice a bit while I'm here. _

I think about that for a second before responding. It's pretty slow by now. I figure I could probably manage to practice a little while I finish up, so I send, _Sure, what do you want me to do?_

_Just talk to me a while, but try to keep everyone else blocked._

Well, that sounds easy enough. The first thing I think of is Amelia, so I start in on that.

_I brought that book you leant to Amelia, she said she's done reading it._

_Oh, that was quick. She didn't keep it long._

_I know, I think she just wants to get it back to you. She was thinking about moving back to New Orleans yesterday and I'm afraid she's just trying to tie up loose ends first._

Thinking about Amelia leaving makes me upset, and I realize I'm frowning at Andy Bellefleur while I refill his water. I quickly paste a smile on my face and he looks at me questioningly. "Can I get you anything else, Andy?" I ask politely. He barks out a gruff, "Just the check, Sookie," and I pull his bill out of my apron and put it on the table.

Trying to have a mental conversation while I work is a little tricky, but once I'm back to doing mindless thing like clearing tables and running chicken baskets, I let Aiden in again.

_Sorry, got a little distracted. _I send.

_Your doing well,_ Aiden reassures._ Now, you were saying Amelia might be moving out? I picked up a bit from her about that yesterday, too._

_You were listening in on Amelia? _I question a bit sharply. Granted, I did the same thing, but knowing someone else is eavesdropping on my friend irks me a little.

_She just seemed pretty upset about something, and I wanted to make sure she was ok. My curiosity got the better of me. I only listened for a second though. _

Aiden seems to feel a little bad so I assure him, _Well, I pretty much did the same thing; so I can't get mad at you for it._

That appears to make him feel better and he sends, _So, New Orleans? Have you been to her place there?_

I spend the remainder of my shift describing Amelia's house in New Orleans, telling Aiden about my cousin Hadley living upstairs, and about how I met Amelia. I recap the crazy ectoplasmic reconstruction and Amelia's Bob accident that finally brought her to be living with me. I tell him about Octavia coming to live with us too and about some of the adventures my witch friends and I had. All the while I continue working, and I get pretty good at the multitasking. I run back to Sam's office to grab Aiden's book, and after handing off my tables to Maddie, I sit down with Aiden.

Continuing our conversation aloud, I say, "So, Amelia started dating a Were named Trey who ended up being my bodyguard during the whole fairy thing… well you know the rest of that story. Losing Trey was really hard on Amelia and now she wants to move back to New Orleans to get away from all the bad memories. My breakdown the other night definitely didn't help matters any."

Aiden absorbs all that for a while and finally says, "You can't put it on yourself, Sookie. It wasn't your fault what happened. If Amelia needs this to heal, maybe it's for the best." I try to smile and agree, but in my mind I really don't want my friend to leave.

Aiden seems to pick up on the fact that I'm done with that topic, and changes the subject saying, "So, how did your sword training go last night?"

"Pretty good I think. We only practiced for a little while before you got there, but Eric's coming over tonight to teach me more." Thinking back over the previous night, I feel a twinge of guilt about Eric's behavior so I say, "I'm really sorry that Eric was over the top last night. He sort of takes Vampire over-protectiveness to a whole new level."

Aiden waives a dismissive hand, "Nonsense, don't worry a bit about it. With all you've been through, I would have been disappointed if he wasn't wary of a new person in your life."

Well, I'm glad the whole thing didn't offend him at least. But remembering Eric's "limb from limb" comment, I feel the need to press on. "Yes, well, I caught the tail end of that threat he was making, and I think he could have done without all that."

Laughing, Aiden says, "Yes, I do hope he won't hold me to _all_ of his demands." I raise a questioning eyebrow and he reaches to push a stray hair behind my ear. "For one, I have 'touched a hair on your head' already." He then runs the back of his hand down the side of my face and says, "and I have 'laid a finger on you' as well."

I melt a bit into his gentle contact and he lets out a sigh dropping his hand. "But I think I got his overall meaning, and I have no problem keeping to his general demand to not cause you any harm. He just wants to keep you safe, Sookie. I understand and quite agree to that." Chuckling again he adds, "I have to say though, he can be pretty terrifying. After seeing him with that sword, I do hope I don't get on his bad side."

I was too caught up in admiring Eric's sword display to imagine it from Aiden's perspective. I can't help but think the timing was a little too perfect. If I didn't know better, I'd think Eric was _trying_ to look intimidating. Ha! Best behavior…

Before I get a chance to say anything more on the subject, Aiden says, "Sookie, what is your relationship with Eric? You were kind of cryptic before saying it was complicated, but it appears that Eric has a much more straight forward opinion on the matter."

I hesitate a bit. I'm so not ready to define anything with Eric. All I know right now is I'm trying very hard not to throw myself at either of these men. I try to be as honest as possible though and say, "Eric and I _have_ had a really complicated relationship. I would take me the rest of the night to explain it all, and we've yet to even discuss what the bond really means, aside from my being untouchable to any other Vampires. Eric's made it pretty clear that he wants me to be "his" but I really don't even know what that means either, and honestly the whole vampire-mine thing just doesn't fly with me. I am my own person and that won't ever change." I sigh a bit in frustration, not knowing how to explain, and Aiden just stays quiet. "Honestly, there's been way to much going on, and I have plenty of other things I need to concentrate on, that I'm really just not ready to make any sort of relationship commitment in my life right now."

Aiden nods, and then breaks into that wonderful crinkle-eyed smile of his saying, "Well, so long as I still have a shot then, muirnín." He grabs my hand and brushes a gentle kiss on my knuckles.

I really don't know how to respond. I didn't want to have any sort of relationship conversation, not about Eric or Aiden, and it seems he's trying to get me to do both. Aiden breaks the tension by chuckling and giving my hand a squeeze saying, "Relax, I won't say another word about it."

I let out the breath I was holding, and he continues saying, "So did you talk to Sam about your new schedule? I'd really like to set up a date…" he leaves his statement hanging and I tense up. Is he kidding me?

Apparently so, since he breaks into a charge of laughter at my reaction. Finally, still laughing slightly, he says, "I'm sorry I couldn't resist. I'd like to set up a date _for our next training session_," he finishes.

He smiles ruefully as his laughter subsides and I just shake my head. "Yes, I did get my new schedule," I say huffily. "I'll be working Friday night and Saturday lunch, then my new schedule starts with lunch shifts on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays."

"Do you want to come to my new residence tomorrow before your shift, then?" he asks jingling his new keys with a smile. "We can plan to practice again on your off days during the week too if you want."

I can't help getting caught up in his excitement over his new place, so I heartily agree. We plan to meet at noon and I offer to help Aiden get his place set up while we practice.

"You won't even need movers, I'll just levitate your stuff right in the door," I say excitedly then ponder on the idea that I might actually be able to do that sort of thing at some point.

"Well, I don't have too much to move, and luckily the place is already furnished, but I'd appreciate the help getting situated."

I nod and say, "I should probably get going, I'd like to try to talk to Amelia about everything tonight." I stand from the booth saying, "I'll see you at noon tomorrow though."

"It's a date," he exclaims and I roll me eyes. He laughs and kisses me quickly on the cheek again before we part ways.

After gathering my purse from Sam's office, I head out to my car. I decide I want to make Amelia a nice home-cooked southern dinner for out talk, and I stop by the grocery store to pick up the ingredients. I plan to make Gran's cornbread, friend chicken, and sweet potato casserole. I contemplate a pecan pie, but realize I don't have enough time for that. Excited about my dinner plans, I rush home to start cooking.

I pull up out back and cart my groceries into the kitchen. As I open the fridge to put away the butter and eggs, I spot a note from Amelia telling me she'll be out for the night. I guess we won't be having our talk tonight then. I put away the groceries and decide to just make myself a can of soup for dinner; I don't have much of an appetite anymore.

While my soup is warming, I change into grey yoga pants, a pink t-shirt, and sneakers figuring I should be comfy for my sword fighting lessons with Eric. I don't think the mascara and lip-gloss are really essential to my training attire, but I don't want to look like a slob so I touch up my makeup and smooth my ponytail with my brush. Satisfied with my appearance, I head back to the kitchen to eat my solo meal.

As I'm cleaning up from dinner, my cell-phone rings. It's Fangtasia. I glance at the clock and let out a sigh, I thought Eric would already be on his way by now. I pick up expecting Eric, but am surprised to hear Pam instead. Skipping the pleasantries of normal phone etiquette, she jumps right in saying formally, "My master wishes me to inform his _little Valkyrie_ that he is running late and will be at your home by 9:30." Before I can even respond, she drops the second-vamp-in-command routine, lets out an annoyed huff, and says, "I don't understand why he couldn't call and tell you this himself, I do not enjoy being a messenger."

"Well thanks for letting me know, Pam," I tell her, and then ask, "Do you know why he's running late? Is everything ok?"

She seems happy to divulge more, saying cryptically, "It seems he was… dissatisfied with my opinion of his attire this evening and he went home to change."

Huh, what could he possibly have been wearing? I ask, "What was wrong with his attire?"

Pam snorts and says, "Oh, absolutely nothing if this were 9th century Scandinavia."

I giggle and just have to ask, "What was he wearing?"

Obviously enjoying herself now, she tells me, "I asked him that very question when he walked in, and he said they were the type of garments he used to wear back when he learned to use a sword. While I'm sure you would have appreciated how the linen trousers accentuated that favorite _asset_ of yours, I just couldn't manage to bite my tongue. He does seem to be taking your training quiet seriously, though."

I can't help the mental picture of Eric in classic Viking garb, it just pops in my mind and I have to shake myself a bit to respond. "Wait, linen? I always imagined him, er thought, rather, that Vikings wore leather?"

Pam laughs delightedly at my blunder, "Yes, well, apparently linens and wools were all the rage, so you'll have to revise your fantasies accordingly."

I blush furiously, glad she's on the phone and not in front of me, and say, "Now Pam, I can hardly believe that Eric told you to tell me all this," leaving the accusation hanging.

She's quick to defend herself, and says innocently, "He was not specific in his request. He simply told me to inform you of his delay and to – I quote – 'make some excuse.' He then left in a hurry, but I couldn't resist telling you the true reason. It is, after all, my fault you would be missing out on seeing it. I figured it was the least I could do. You will of course not mention this though, am I correct, my friend?"

I let out another laugh and have to concede. "I promise I won't mention it. What is the official excuse though?"

"I will offer our standard vague explanation, should he ask, that there was an area emergency he had to see to as Sheriff." She adds matter-of-factly.

"I'll be sure and stick to the story," I say and after giving Pam my most heartfelt thanks for calling, we hang up. I just don't know how I will keep a straight face when Eric gets here.

I decide to pass the time by practicing my magic since it's been a few days. I start with levitating objects, progressively increasing the weight, but I find that I can't lift anything heavier than the potholder. After a few minutes of frustration over trying to lift a small cutting board, I decide it must be because I'm not wearing the pendant, so I grab it from my bedroom and put it on. Once I'm wearing it I notice a definite improvement. I continue lifting various heavier objects around the room.

I've already brought my sword into the kitchen so I will be ready to start as soon as Eric arrives, and decide to try levitating it from the counter. I lift it with ease even though its quiet a bit heavier than the book I had lost control of the other day. I really concentrate and sort of call it to myself and it floats swiftly into my outstretched hand. Delighted by my progress, I float it back and forth between the counter and myself a few more times. I lose my focus though and it drops to the floor when Eric knocks on the back door. I pick up the sword by hand as I walk over to let him in.

I can't help the twinge of disappointment at seeing Eric in sweatpants and a t-shirt, but really, he looks amazing in just about anything, or nothing… Eric smirks at me, obviously picking up on my growing lust, so I quickly rein it in and offer him a true blood.

"Yes, thank you, lover." He says and takes a seat at the table while I get his blood ready. "I apologize for being late, area emergency. It could not be avoided."

I quickly turn to the microwave to hide my grin, and I cover my laugh with a cough. "It's fine," I tell him. "Pam called to let me now."

I hand Eric the bottle and sit down next to him and he asks, "What were you doing when I arrived? I could feel your joy as I was pulling up."

"Oh, I was just practicing my levitating. Want to see?" I ask and he nods his assent. I look over to my sword on the counter where I had placed it when I opened the door, and Eric follows my gaze. I again lift it and it quickly floats to my open hand.

Eric's eyes go wide and I grin from ear to ear. "Sookie that's remarkable. I had no idea you had such control. When you described your progress yesterday you made it sound like you could only float light objects around aimlessly."

Still beaming I say, "I know, I just figured out how to do it while I was sitting here waiting for you. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yes," Eric chuckles, "pretty cool."

He finishes off his blood quickly and I entertain him by levitating the empty bottle to the sink to rinse and throw away later. "So what am I learning tonight?" I ask.

Eric picks up my sword and looks over the blade with a scowl. "Apparently I am teaching you how to properly care for your sword. This blade is atrocious lover, did you not clean it off last night?"

I roll my eyes and say, "No, I didn't clean it, its iron for Pete's sake what could happen to it?"

Eric gives me a look like I just ran over his puppy; the Viking is none too pleased with my carelessness. With a huff he says, "I will bring over supplies next time and teach you to clean and oil the blade. For now we will just wipe it down with a soft cloth."

I hand him a dishtowel and he shakes his head, "I said a _soft_ cloth, something that does not create lint. And something dry, water is not good for an iron blade, it will make it rust." He thinks about it for a second then asks, "What do you use to polish your grandmother's antique furniture?"

"Usually just Jason's old t-shirts," I tell him and dig under the sink to find a clean, dry rag. I hand it to him and he nods in approval.

"This will do," he says and meticulously wipes down the blade.

Once he seems satisfied that there's not a single dust particle left on the blade – which, by the way, seems completely ridiculous to me since we are about to go mess it up again – he replaces the sword in its sheath and lays it on the table.

"So aside from sword care, what am I learning tonight?" I ask again.

"Well, my little Valkyrie, I brought over a few practice swords so I could teach you some defense. I'll just grab them from my car and we can head out front."

I sulk a bit and say, "So I won't be using Nauda's sword then?" I'm a little disappointed at not using my magic sword.

Eric laughs at my expression and says, "No, you can still use it. It is important to get used to the weight and feel of your own sword."

Eric gathers his things from the car and meets me out front by the apple tree. He brought a few wooden swords as well as two metal ones that don't look too sharp. He drops all but a wooden one next to the tree trunk and comes over to stand in front of me.

"Take your stance," he tells me, then asks, "You remember how to grip it?" I nod and get my hands into position.

He mirror's my stance, except he's holding his sword in just one hand like last night. I ask, "Eric, how come you have me use two hands but you only use one?"

Eric smiles and explains, "Your sword really is meant to be held with one hand, but your delicate little hands are small enough to both fit on the hilt. Plus it will give you more power behind your strikes that way."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," I say and resume my posture.

"Are you ready to begin?" he asks and again I nod.

He starts very slowly, making exaggerated strikes and explaining how I should block them. We go on for about half an hour with our slow motion battle. He then moves on from blocking to showing me how to strike offensively, again in slow motion. After about another half hour, he decides we should pick up the pace.

"Now I will not tell you my actions ahead this time. Try to anticipate them and block accordingly. And if you see an in, do not be afraid to try to strike me," he tells me.

I'm a little uneasy about really trying to hit him. I know short of decapitating him he can recover from just about anything I could do, but what if I cut him badly or God forbid cut something off? He's told me in the past that re-growing body parts takes a long time and is quite painful. Full of concern, I suggest, "Maybe I should switch to a wooden sword too, Eric."

He gives me an are-you-an-idiot look and says, "Have you such little faith in my swordsmanship that you think you will overpower me on your second night of training? And besides, I think a _wooden_ sword could be more lethal to me than an iron one."

Right, sword-shaped stake is probably not the best idea. But I'm still feeling apprehensive about the whole idea, which he seems to pick up on. He reassures me again, "Sookie, honestly, I'll be fine."

I finally concede and nod my head, lifting my sword again. At first he's not moving too quickly and I can block his shots pretty easily, but as he starts to pick up the pace I get flustered trying to keep up and he hits me, pretty hard I might add, in my right bicep.

"Ow! Shit that hurt!" I yell a few more choice obscenities that Gran would not approve of and hop around holding my arm. Eric rushes over to inspect it and looks really upset. I can feel his remorse and anger at himself as clearly as I can see it on his face.

"Sookie, I am so sorry. I truly did not mean to hurt you. Perhaps this is a bad idea. We should stop," he says and continues inspecting my arm. There's a pretty good welt starting to form, but the initial sting has subsided a bit.

I don't want to stop. I really want to get good at this, so I quickly reassure him, "No, Eric, really I'm fine. It just really stung at first, but its already feeling better. Let's keep going." I try to pull my arm away, but he frowns at me and presses on the wound a bit causing me to let out a yelp.

"Yes, I can see it does not hurt at all," he scowls. Then he punctures is index finger with his fang and gently rubs the blood over my wound. Instantly, the pain is gone and the welt seems to be fading already. "There, lets get you inside now. Maybe put some ice on it."

I dig in my heels as he tries to usher me into the house. "Eric I'm fine. Please, I want to keep training."

Eric shakes his head saying, "Sookie, no, it is not a good idea. I will teach you more of what I can another day without the sparing, but I will not risk hurting you again." He continues dragging me toward the house.

I really want him to keep training me, and I know if he refuses to spar with me that I will never learn enough for it to be of much use. I need to learn how to defend myself realistically and its not going to happen if he's telling me everything to expect. So I play the only card I have, even though it's a bit mean of me.

"Eric, please, just hear me out." I jump in front of him and put my hands on his chest to stop him from plowing ahead. "As you well know, I've had much, much worse than this," I say gesturing to the rapidly fading welt and he winces at the reminder of my past wounds. "And if I don't learn how to defend myself, I will have those sorts of injuries again. Would you really rather have me attempt to fight someone like Dermot without knowing what I'm doing? If I get into a fight with him and he's actually using a _real_ sword against me, a mistake like this would cost me my whole arm or worse!"

Eric growls, but I can feel his self-directed anger changing instead to concern for me, so I forge on. "I know I can get good at this if you teach me. I just lost my focus, but I know I can do better. Please, will you keep teaching me?" I lay it on real thick, puppy-dog eyes and everything. I may have even gotten a little teary, unintentionally of course.

Eric turns away from me mumbling something in another language that does not sound very polite, and storms back toward the tree. I do a quick, victorious fist-pump while his back is turned, then bounce off after him.

"Thank you, Eric!" I exclaim when I catch up to him. He just scowls at me and picks up his wooden sword, mumbling a bit more. I reach out my hand and levitate my sword to me. I could really get used to that! Stepping in front of Eric, I return to position.

Eric seems to hesitate though, saying, "I just do not think this is a very good idea. It is getting late, you are probably getting tired and losing your focus."

I cut him off saying, "No, come on Eric. I'm fine, I'll really concentrate this time."

He still doesn't look happy, but with a resigned sigh he raises his sword and resumes his stance. I really don't want to get hurt again or I just know he will absolutely refuse to spar with me anymore, so I take a deep breath and close my eyes to really center my mind. I concentrate on the magic in my blood and let it wash over me, really soaking it in. When I open my eyes Eric asks, "Are you ready?" and I nod.

He comes at me slowly again at first, and I block his strikes really easily. He ups his speed, but I know he's holding back and not going as fast as before. I'm a little annoyed by his reluctance and try to bait him into fighting harder by going on the offensive. I block a few more of his strikes, and then see my opportunity. I deflect his swing hard, pushing his sword out of position above his head, and then I bring my blade swiftly toward his opposite side. He's quick to block it though, but it gets the desired reaction and he grins and starts fighting faster.

We battle on for a few more minutes, and as my heart beats faster I can really feel the magic pumping through me. It feels amazing! That sense of invincibility is back and I up my speed. Eric swings faster too though and I almost get hit again, but as if by its own accord, my sword manages to block his blade at the last second. I take the opportunity to strike and quickly whirl my blade around slicing into his forearm and making him drop his sword.

Eric's eyes go wide when he realizes what happened, and he just stares at me. The big gash on his arm is really bleeding. His thick blood is sluggishly dripping down his hand and pooling on the grass. I drop my sword and grab his arm.

"Oh my God, Eric! I'm so sorry! Come on, let's get inside so I can take care of it."

I take hold of his good arm and start pulling him toward the house, but of course I can't budge the big Viking if he doesn't want to move. He's just standing there, staring at me wide-eyed. I squeal, "Eric, come on, snap out of it! We need to treat your arm!"

He doesn't move, but seems to come out of his trance a bit and asks, "Sookie, how did you move so fast? I have never seen anyone but a Vampire move like that."

"I have no idea what your talking about, Eric, but would you please come inside so I can see to your arm?" I plead with him and thankfully he finally starts moving.

I lead him into the kitchen and grab a dishtowel to staunch the bleeding. "Hold this, I'll grab the first aid kit," I tell him, pressing the towel against his wound. He does as I ask and I quickly grab the kit from the bathroom and return.

I pull the towel away and grimace at the gaping wound. The bleeding seems to have stopped but the cut really looks nasty. I start digging in the first aid kit for antiseptic and bandages. Trying to remember my first aid training, I think for a second that he needs a tetanus shot but quickly dismiss the idea realizing he is of course a Vampire and probably can't get tetanus. I fill a bowl with warm water and begin cleaning the blood off his arm and hand with the towel, and gently making sure there's no dirt in the wound. I reach for the antiseptic cream and start carefully applying it to gash.

"Sookie, this is completely unnecessary. It will heal on its own," Eric says.

"Oh hush you, and let me tend to it. You took care of _my_ battle wound, at least let me return the favor." I continue pointlessly treating his cut, but when I pick up the box of giant band aides he grabs them from my hand.

"You are not putting one of those things on me. If you want to help it heal faster, warm me a true blood," he says while tossing the offending band aides across the table.

"Fine," I huff and while I start fixing his true blood, I resume apologizing. "I really am sorry, Eric. I don't know what got into me. Is it healing ok?" I ask glancing back worriedly at his arm.

"It is fine, I have had much worse," he replies exasperatedly using my words from earlier. I flinch realizing it was my pleading that caused us to resume our training and the resulting gaping wound in Eric's arm. The microwave dings and I give the bottle a shake before handing it off to Eric.

I take a seat next to him and examine his arm. The skin is already knitting itself back together. Relieved, I glance up at Eric who's smiling at me. "See, its already healing, no big deal. Now, tell me my little Valkyrie, how were you able to move so fast?"

I think back to our exchange and try to pinpoint what he's talking about. "You mean when I blocked you?" I ask.

Eric nods and says, "I have never seen a human move so quickly. It was shocking."

"I honestly don't think that _I_ did anything. I was so focused on not getting hit again, I didn't want you being so angry over it that you would refuse to train me, and I swear it was like the sword blocked you all on its own," I explain, then guilty add, "But then I saw the opportunity to strike, I took it. I'm so sorry Eric, I don't know what I was thinking."

Eric seems to absorb that and says, "You had such a look of determination, and I could tell you were very focused. As you picked up speed, you were just exuding power. I am afraid I got a bit caught up in it myself and came at you harder than I should have. I think your magic and focus are what protected you from the blow." Eric reaches across with his good hand to touch my pendant. I had forgotten that I was still wearing it. He examines it carefully then lets it go saying, "I think this pendant may be helpful after all."

I wrap my hand around the pendant, wondering if its magic protected me or the sword's? It obviously enhances my abilities, but could it actually protect me? I'm just not sure. I ask Eric, "Can you tell if the magic on it is protective? Aiden was pretty adamant about it not having any magic of its own, he said that it just enhanced _my_ magic."

Eric shrugs saying, "I do not know. I have very little experience with magic, especially protective magic, but it does not seem to directly cause you harm. You should talk to Aiden more about it." He says the last part sullenly, and I assume he's annoyed that I have to go to Aiden for answers instead of him.

"You and Aiden seemed to get along pretty well last night. Well, after you stopped threatening to rip off his limbs anyway." I smile a little wryly at my over-protective Vampire.

Eric looks a little uneasy and says, "You were not meant to hear that. I did not expect you to come back in the room so quickly. I was simply warning him that his intent had better not be to cause you harm."

I wave Eric off, "I know, he told me. I don't think the threats were quite necessary, but I appreciate your looking out for me."

Eric grins and goes on, "Oh he told you, did he? What else did he have to say about me?"

Rolling my eyes I say, "Well, he does think you're pretty frightening, so you succeeded with you little sword display." He raises his eyebrows in mock innocence and I laugh saying, "Oh, yes, I figured out your scheme. I know you heard him coming up the road before you put on that little show with the sword. And you promised your best behavior." I shake my head, feigning disappointment.

Eric shrugs nonchalantly saying, "I was quite pleasant once I made sure I had gotten my point across."

I laugh and continue, "Yes, you ended up being incredibly well mannered, aside from calling me lover every chance you got and packing as many innuendos into the conversation as possible."

Eric scowls and says, "_He_ kept calling you muirnín. Although that is at least not degrading like Quinn calling you babe incessantly."

"What does that mean, anyway? Muirnín?" I ask. I had yet to ask Aiden about it because I was frankly a little afraid of the answer. But at least Eric said it wasn't degrading, so it couldn't be that bad.

"It is Gaelic for darling or sweetheart," he says with distaste.

"Well that's not so bad." Actually, I think it's sort of sweet. I add, "Bill calls me sweetheart."

"Yes, and that annoys me just as much," Eric hisses.

I try to steer Eric back from his sudden annoyance and say, "Well, anyway, aside from thinking you're frightening, Aiden seems to think you're a good guy for looking out for me."

I don't know if it really helped to improve his mood or not, but Eric actually concedes saying, "The fairy does not seem so bad." Before I could get too excited that my two potential beaus would actually get all chummy though, he adds, "But that was not some idle threat I made. I promise you, I absolutely will rip him limb from limb if he does anything to contradict my assumption. And you should still be wary of him since you do not know him well."

There's the fierce Viking vampire I've come to expect. I just shake my head and start repacking the first aid kit. Turning back to Eric, I ask, "Can I do anything else for your cut? Are you sure you don't want me to wrap it up or anything?"

"No, lover, it is fine. It will be healed by the next time I see you," Eric insists.

I check it over once more, just for my own peace of mind, the skin has completely closed over and now it just looks like an angry red scar. "When will I see you next? I work tomorrow night but then I'm on all day shifts for a while."

"If you are off on Saturday night, I would like to interview the Weres Alcide is sending for your bodyguard job. Can you come to Fangtasia? We leave for the summit a week from tonight and I would like to get that squared away." Eric says.

Weres? I thought he was just sending one, but I agree asking, "Sure I can come, what time?"

"Be there by nine. Now, I told Pam I would come back to the bar tonight, so I should be going," Eric says rising from his chair.

"Can I warm you another blood for the road or anything?" I ask eyeing his arm again.

But Eric just brushes me off, "No, I am fine."

We gather up the swords and I help him carry them to his car. I am so close to keeping my vow today, and I am determined to be successful, so I stay very mindful of Eric's moves. I have learned with Eric, especially after tonight, that the best defense truly is a good offense, so once we stow the swords in his trunk I make my move.

As soon as he closes the trunk, I wrap Eric up in a tight hug saying, "Thank you so much for coming over to teach me tonight. And I'm really sorry about your arm.'" I've decided cheeks don't count, since even Sam does that sometimes, so I brush a kiss across his cheek and nuzzle against him a bit. He chuckles softly, as if he's on to my game plan and wraps me up in his big arms, murmuring, "Your welcome, my little Valkyrie." I sigh and melt in his embrace, but eventually pull myself away. And wouldn't you know, the wily Viking grabs my face and with Vampire speed, plants one of his toe-curling kisses on me. There goes my damn vow again!

Laughing heartily, Eric pulls away and hops in his car. Between loud guffaws he calls, "Do not forget to wipe down the sword," and disappears down my driveway. I swear I can still hear his laughter even as he turns down Hummingbird Road.


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry it took so long for this update! Real life just got in the way. But I have written bits and pieces of the next few chapters, so hopefully I'll be able to get them finished up and posted more quickly.

Thanks to those of you who are sticking with me! I promise, I know where I'm going and even partially wrote the end of the story already. So I really will finish this, it just may take a little longer than I had hoped.

Thanks again for all the support! And please keep the reviews coming!

I do not own the characters; they are the property of Charlaine Harris.

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**A Fairy Tale - Chapter 11**

I wake up a little late on Friday morning and quickly get myself into the shower. While showering I reminisce on my annoying Viking and his damn kisses. It's like he knows what I'm trying to do, and he's intentionally sabotaging my efforts. I decide it's not my fault if I break my vow when he keeps sneaking kisses on me using vampire speed. I'll just keep doing my best to avoid those luscious lips of his.

I get myself dressed in a pair of powder blue capris (baby steps!) and a blue and white flowered baby doll top with sandals. I decide to wear my hair down adding some curl to the ends, and opt to throw my pendant in my purse instead of putting it on. I'll just wear it during our actual training. I want to make sure it's not influencing more than my magic ability when I'm around Aiden.

I head to the kitchen to make breakfast and find Amelia at the table already. She made coffee, pancakes, and scrambled eggs. I can't help but wonder if her home-cooked breakfast is supposed to serve the same purpose as the dinner I had planned for last night: an icebreaker, a peace offering to soften the blow for a tough conversation. Uh oh.

I try to steady myself so as not to get preemptively upset, and call, "Good morning, Amelia! Breakfast smells great!"

"Morning, Sookie," Amelia smiles back as she put a plate on the table for me, "I thought maybe we could talk?"

"Of course, I was actually really hoping to talk to you, too." I contemplate whether or not I should let her talk first, but before I can make up my mind she jumps right in.

"I'm moving back to New Orleans," she says quickly. Like pulling of a band aide. Then she adds, "On Monday."

I practically choke on my coffee. Monday?! So soon? God she really must want to get out of here. Before I can catch my breath and say anything she continues, "I'm sorry, I didn't meant to be so abrupt, but I've made up my mind and I don't want to argue about it. I'm tired of sulking around and there's just not enough here to keep me occupied. I love you and you are such a great friend, but other than you, I don't have anyone here for me."

I start to interject about her having plenty of people here who care about her, but Amelia cuts me off saying, "I know I've made some good friends, but I realized the other day with Aiden that I really miss magic and my coven, even Octavia believe it or not." She says the last with half a laugh.

I push my eggs around my plate and say, "Well, I'm sure Aiden would really like talking to you about magic too. He sounds like he's planning to stick around for a while. And Holly and Daniel talk shop with you, don't they?"

Amelia smiles, "It's not the same, Sookie. Holly and Daniel aren't very serious about magic. And Aiden, well, honestly I just don't think I can stand watching him fall in love with you. It still hurts too much."

Fall in love with me? That's absurd! I'm just about to start arguing when I notice tears running down Amelia's cheeks. I run around the table and wrap her up in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Sookie. I just really miss Trey," Amelia sniffs. "And I feel terrible that I want to leave to try to forget him, but I don't know what else to do. Everything here reminds me of him and I just don't think I'll ever get over it if I don't leave.

"Shhh, Amelia its ok. You need to take care of yourself, I understand." I continue to hug her and reassure her, and soon she stops crying.

Blowing her nose noisily in her napkin Amelia says, "Thank you for understanding, Sookie."

"Of course. And you know if you ever want to come back, to stay or just to visit, you are always welcome," I tell her sincerely.

Amelia grins through her watery eyes and says, "And same goes for you. If you need a taste of the city life, you just call me."

We hug a little more and even though I really don't want my friend to leave, I have to admit if it's what she thinks is best for her then she should do it. I won't argue with her or make her feel bad about going, it just wouldn't be fair.

"Hey, you said you were leaving on Monday?" I ask and Amelia nods. "Well, why don't we have a nice girls day on Sunday then before you go? We can go shopping, get our nails done, have a nice dinner out somewhere, and maybe even go out dancing or something. What do you say?"

Amelia grins from ear to ear, "That sounds fantastic! I would love it."

We decide we will go to Shreveport since there is better shopping, and that I will book the spa outing and Amelia will plan dinner and dancing. Knowing that we will have at least one more fun girls day together before Amelia leaves makes me feel a little bit better about the whole thing.

"So what's your plan today?" Amelia asks.

I glance at the clock, "Actually I have to get going in a few minutes. I'm helping Aiden get situated in his new place today and then I work tonight."

Amelia asks about my magic progress and I fill her in on what I've been learning. I show her a bit of my levitating skills and she seems pretty impressed. Pretty soon though I have to hit the road so I won't be late to meet Aiden.

When I pull up out front, I have to smile at my memory of staying here. Although it surely wasn't under pleasant circumstances that I ended up in the little house, I sort of enjoyed my brief time living here with neighbors and modern amenities. I wonder if anyone has taken Halleigh's place on the other side of the duplex or if it's just empty now? The blinds are drawn so it's hard to tell. As I'm making my way up the front walk, Aiden opens the door. I take in the sight of him in the doorway wearing khaki cargo shorts, leather flip-flops, and a fitted brown t-shirt with his tousled hair, he really looks like a California beach bum today.

"Hello, muirnín," Aiden calls as he brushes a kiss on my cheek.

"Hi Aiden," I say and he guides me into the house. It's exactly as I remember it: compact living room in the front with just enough space for the couch, armchair, and coffee table, and the little galley kitchen in the back. I notice Aiden has a few boxes scattered around, but nothing to really make the house look like his own aside from the pile of books on the coffee table. "Do you have more stuff to unpack?" I question.

Aiden glances around the room then shrugs gesturing to the few boxes, "Nope, this is all that's left, just the boxes that Aunt Fina sent me the other day. I didn't really bring anything else with me besides some clothes and stuff."

"Well let me help you. Then we can make a list and go shopping for anything else you might need," I suggest.

"I did pick up a few things for lunch today and I got a book shelf for in here. But I need to put that together still. Do you want to help me?" he asks gesturing to the bookshelf.

I look over the package. It says "easy to assemble" on the box, so I figure I can handle it. "Sure, lets do it."

We get started assembling the shelf and find that it really is quite easy. As we work, I ask Aiden about Monterey. "So what's your house in California like?"

"I live downtown, which I really like since I can walk just about anywhere I need to go. My house is a small townhouse with two bedrooms upstairs and a kitchen and living room downstairs. A little bigger then this place, but not by much, I don't need any more room then that though. If I want some space I go visit my Aunt and Uncle out at their ranch," Aiden explains.

"Is their ranch very close to where you live?" I ask.

"Not far, maybe 10 miles away. It's beautiful there; really all of Monterey is gorgeous. I bet you'd really like it." Aiden smiles at me then adds, "Maybe after the summit is over I could take you there to visit. I know my Aunt would love you. Have you ever been horseback riding?"

I shake my head and Aiden goes on describing the picturesque trails he rides through the California countryside, and the paths along the seaside cliffs overlooking ocean views. It sounds absolutely lovely, and I find myself really hoping that I'll be able to see it sometime.

"Promise me you'll at least think about visiting?" Aiden asks.

I smile and nod, "I promise. It sounds so wonderful, I really do hope I get out there sometime."

Aiden beams and wraps me up in his strong arms, "Anytime you want, I'll make it happen. You deserve a relaxing trip that's not all wrapped up with supe politics and that doesn't put you in danger," I scowl a bit at that and he laughs and lets go of me, "And I really hope you decide to go before the humidity here gets too awful. I'm told it's really hideous in the summer months."

I have to agree with that, and it gets us talking about the weather in Monterey, which, by the way, sounds amazing. 50-70 degrees all year round? I can't even imagine how great that would be. The shelf is assembled quickly and we move it into place against the wall. Aiden starts unpacking one of the boxes while I gather the books from the coffee table. I line some of the books up on one of the shelves and he holds them in place with a large rounded rock with sparkling purple crystals in its center.

Noticing me admiring the crystals, Aiden says, "It's a geode. I found it hiking in the desert in Arizona." Aiden places a chunky white rock on another shelf next to my second stack of books. It has smooth red and orange glassy stone protruding from it. He explains, "Fire Agate from an abandoned mine in Mexico." Pulling out another sparkly rock from the box, he hands it to me saying, "And this is my favorite. It's a black calcite geode; they're incredibly rare. I found this one while canoing the Des Moines River in Iowa."

I inspect the sparkling rock, and it really is pretty. The crystals are a dark grayish black, but when the facets catch the light they flash an almost emerald green color. Looking at the crystals, I think about what Aiden's life must be like. Horseback riding in Monterey, hiking deserts in Arizona, exploring abandoned mines in Mexico, canoing in Iowa, plus who knows what else. His life is so much different from mine despite all of our similarities. We both lost our parents because of fairies, and we both had these "gifts" to figure out. But while my life has been a struggle to cope and has ended up filled with death and danger at every turn, his has been a life of nurturing of his abilities and has been filled with exploration and adventure. I smile ruefully thinking how very different our lives have been, and can't help imagining what my life might become if I were to just take off with Aiden and start over.

I shake myself back to the present and hand Aiden his rock saying, "You have an interesting life. I can't imagine all the places you've been and things you've done. I've barely even left Bon Temps until these last few years."

Aiden smiles sheepishly and says, "It really hasn't been very glamorous. I've traveled a lot, but usually with only the pack on my back spending my nights camping under the stars. I love it though. I never get sick of the fresh air and sunshine and seeing all those different places. Aunt Fina swears I make up half the rock and mineral samples I'm after just for an excuse to go on a trip."

"I think it sounds wonderful," I reassure him. "I've just never done anything like it."

"Well, I can fix that if you want," he squeezes my hand and says with a wink, "But before we take off on our exploits, how about some lunch?"

I laugh and follow him into the kitchen as he says, "I didn't do a real grocery shopping trip yet so I can't make you anything impressive, but I picked up stuff for sandwiches and some chips and sodas."

"Sounds great," I tell him and he starts pulling things out of the fridge to set on the counter. I try to be helpful by grabbing plates and glasses, but the cabinets are of course empty. Aiden points out a grocery bag with paper plates and cups and plastic ware so I busy myself opening that. We assemble our lunches and take seats in the plastic chairs situated around the little table.

He in about training, "So you leave on Thursday for the summit, right?" I nod and he goes on, "Did you have other stuff to do this week to get ready or can we pick a few days to practice?"

I think over the things I need to do this week before answering, "Well, tomorrow I work and have to go to Fangtasia to interview the daytime guards that will be coming with us to Vegas. Then Sunday I promised Amelia a girl's day. She is moving back to New Orleans, by the way, she's leaving on Monday."

Aiden gives me a sympathetic look but I cut him off before he can say anything, "I decided you were right. If this is what she needs to heal, then she should do it. I'm not saying I won't miss her, but it's probably for the best. Besides, I always knew she'd go back eventually. So its ok, I'm fine."

He nods to me with a smile and moves on asking, "So Saturday and Sunday are out, what about during the week?"

"I work Monday and Wednesday, but could do Tuesday and Thursday?" I suggest.

"Perfect. I can drive you to the airport afterwards on Thursday if you need a ride," Aiden offers. I realize I don't know the specifics about when we're actually leaving and whether or not I do need a ride there. I'll have to ask Eric about the details when I see him tomorrow.

"I don't know the specifics yet," I say, "but I may take you up on your offer." We finish our lunch and I clean up after the two of us.

Aiden smiles in thanks and suggests, "Why don't we start practicing? I want to see what sort of progress you've made."

"Sure," I agree and retrieve my purse to put my pendant on. Aiden doesn't say anything about it but just grabs a few books off the new shelf.

"I want to see how your levitating is coming," Aiden tells me and I proceed to show him. After gliding the heavier book around the room and into my outstretched hand, Aiden decides to up the ante. We move outside and practice with a soccer ball. Instead of lifting it while it's stationary, Aiden tosses it in the air and I try to change its path. It takes a little while for me to get the hang of focusing on a moving object, but I get it down after a while. I find it's easier to call it to me than to deflect it away from me, but Aiden seems to think deflecting is important so we focus on that for a while.

"I just think it would come in handy defensively. If anyone tries to throw something at you, deflecting it away would be a whole lot more useful than making it fly at you," Aiden explains and I have to say I agree with that. "But slowing an object down enough so that you could catch it and then use it in your own defense, that could be quite useful too," Aiden adds and then we start practicing that too.

At one point, Aiden throws the soccer ball especially hard. I can't slow it down or deflect it in time and it smacks me right in the nose. I feel a bit like Marcia Brady as I drop to the ground clutching my nose.

"Oh God, Sookie, I'm so sorry!" Aiden calls as he runs over to me. He pulls my hands down to look it over and says worriedly, "I don't think it's broken, but it will probably swell up pretty good if we don't take care of it. Here," he leans in and mumbles a few words in a language I don't understand while placing a lingering kiss on my nose. "That should help."

I almost laugh at him, kiss it to make it all better, seriously? But surprisingly, it does feel a little better already. Aiden laughs at the shocked expression on my face and pulls me to my feet. "Come on, we should put ice on it too. That little spell will help, but it probably won't be enough to completely prevent swelling."

Aiden ushers me into the kitchen and sits me at the table while he gets some ice. Once I have the bundle of ice cubes situated against my nose, I ask, "Aiden, what was that you did to me? It actually did make my nose feel a lot better."

He grins that crinkle-eyed smile and explains, "When a witch is raising a foolhardy young boy, she learns a few tricks to get by. Aunt Fina used to have to use that spell on me at least twice a week when I was little." Laughing he adds, "I'm not even sure if the kiss is actually necessary or if it's just something she added because it's what other mothers did, but it always worked, so I figured I shouldn't mess with the process."

"Well it really does seem to work, I feel much better already." I pull the ice away from my face and ask, "How's it look?"

Aiden inspects my nose carefully, gently pressing on it a bit to feel if it's broken. "I think it'll be fine. I just hope it doesn't bruise or anything, especially since you're going to see Eric tomorrow. Surely this would constitute harming you, and I'm pretty fond of my limbs." He replaces the ice pack on my nose with a worried look on his face.

I reassure him saying, "This isn't any worse than what Eric did last night, so I wouldn't worry about it." Aiden's eyes go wide in concern so I quickly explain, "He got me in the arm with a wooden sword, pretty hard though, and it was starting to form a decent welt." I gesture to the place where I was hit, but all that's left now is a very faint bruise. "Eric healed it mostly though, so it's not bad. And I got him back much worse," I finish with a cringe at the memory of his gaping cut.

Aiden raises a questioning eyebrow and says, "Oh did you? And how did you get him back, muirnín?"

"Well, he had a wooden sword, but I was using Nauda's sword. I was very focused and could really feel the magic coursing through me. But he was so fast and I was struggling to keep up, and just as I was about to get hit again, Nauda's sword blocked Eric's. I swear it was like it moved on its own, Eric said he's never seen a human move so quickly." I hesitate before admitting the rest, "So while he was apparently in a state of shock over my quick movement, I took the opportunity to strike. I cut his arm pretty bad. I really felt awful afterwards, I don't know what I was thinking."

"I wonder what the difference was," Aiden questions, seemingly to himself.

"The difference between what?" I ask and he turns his attention back to me.

He explains, "Well, you said Eric did hit you the one time, and then later when he almost got you, the sword acted on its own to block his shot. I wonder why it was different. Were you doing anything differently?"

I think back to the night before and try to identify how things were different that second time. "Well, I really didn't want to get hit again. I knew Eric would stop training me if I did, so before we started I took a moment to close my eyes and let the magic wash over me and really center my mind."

"That's it!" Aiden exclaims, "You channeled Nauda's magic before you started. And you didn't do that the first time?"

"No, I just sort of started the first time," I confirm.

"Then that's what you need to concentrate on. Learn how to really channel the magic in that sword. I think the fencing lessons are important too, but you need to practice and really make sure you can tell the difference between when you've called the magic and when you haven't," Aiden says seriously.

I nod solemnly, understanding that the magic is the only thing that's going to make me out-fence someone with any experience. "I will. I'll make sure I know the difference." I hesitate and clasp my hand around the pendant before asking, "Aiden, do you think it was the sword's magic, my magic, or the pendant's magic that protected me?"

Aiden shakes his head and says, "Sookie, I've told you, the pendant has no magic of it's own. When you're wearing it, it gives you better access to and control over your own magic, but that's it. As for the sword though, that I think is a little of you and a little of Nauda. You can channel his magic because you have his blood. That's why you say you can feel it coursing through you; his magic is literally in your veins, you just have to call on it."

I nod again, but I don't think I really understand the difference. I guess the important thing is to make sure I know how to call on the magic. As for who's magic it is that doesn't matter as much.

Aiden interrupts my thoughts asking, "How's the nose? Ready to continue?"

I test out my nose by pushing on it a bit. It's a little tender but nothing unbearable, so I say, "Sure. What do you want to do now?"

"I want to work on your air bursts. Let's go back outside," Aiden takes my hand and leads me out back.

I notice he doesn't get anything for me to practice on, so I ask, "What am I aiming at for this?"

Aiden grins and kisses my hand saying, "I believe you owe me one for the soccer ball, so I'll be your target."

"What?! No, that's ridiculous!" I exclaim and dig in my heels to stop his progress.

He turns and grabs both my hands in his saying, "I'll be fine, don't worry. I couldn't think of a different target, and really this skill would be the most useful for stopping a person who's pursuing you, so what's better than to practice on the real thing?"

I'm feeling uneasy about the whole idea, but I can see his logic, so I ask, "What exactly would you have me do?"

Aiden smiles, I'm sure sensing that I'm giving in, and explains, "We'll start with me just walking at you, and you try to push me away or at least stop me from moving. Once you have that down, I'll try running and being more evasive."

I grudgingly agree and he smiles in triumph. He starts off slow, like he said, and just walks toward me. It takes me a few tries to summon enough energy to make him stop. After a few more tries, I'm able to push him back a few steps. Then I start getting a little cocky and give him a good shove knocking him on his butt.

Laughing from his place on the grass, Aiden says, "I think you've got the hang of it." He gets to his feet, brushes himself off, and with a gleam in his eye suggests, "Let's make a game of it. I'll do whatever I can to come at you, and if I reach you I get a point. Anytime I end up on the ground, you get a point. We'll play to, say, 7?"

It's not often that I play games, but when I do, I'm pretty competitive. So I agree saying, "You're on. And if I win, you have to make me dinner."

He grins wickedly and says, "Deal. But if I win, you have to let me take you on a proper date."

I roll my eyes at his conditions. A little voice in the back of my mind says this is a win-win situation for me, but my competitive nature kicks in and I still really want to beat him. I close my eyes and try to focus, taking a few deep breaths. When I open them, Aiden is standing about 15 yards away.

"Ready?" he asks, and I nod to confirm. "Ok, on your mark, get set, go!" he shouts and starts darting toward me.

Aiden's really fast, and before I can do much of anything, he's on me. He wraps me up in his arms and spins me around in a circle exclaiming, "Gotcha!" He sets me down and says, "One-Nothing," with a grin before kissing my forehead and taking off across the yard again. His enthusiasm is infectious and I laugh out loud while he sprints back to his spot.

He crouches into an attack position and I try to really concentrate. When he calls ready this time, I nod and keep my focus. He makes it within only a few paces of me before I knock him over. I take the few steps to him, and reach down to help him up. Once on his feet I mimic his actions and stand on my tiptoes to kiss his forehead saying, "One-One," before laughing and turning back to my spot.

He takes his place and we begin again. He only makes it a few steps before I knock him down this time. "Two-One," I call from where I'm standing and he laughs as he situates himself again. We go a few more rounds, and Aiden starts getting more evasive by backtracking and sidestepping my attacks, but he still doesn't reach me again.

I'm winning five-one and starting to feel pretty cocky. We set ourselves into position and after I nod that I'm ready, Aiden straightens up suddenly and looks past me toward the duplex saying, "Someone's watching." I freeze and turn to see who's there. It was a stupid idea to do this here! We should have gone to my farmhouse where there are no neighbors, at least none that are alive during the day. I'm sure we look completely ridiculous, and I really don't need the people of Bon Temps thinking I'm more of a freak than they already do. Just as I turn to suggest we go to my house, Aiden slams into me and wraps me up in his arms. Letting out a toll of laughter, he says, "Five-Two." He kisses me again on the forehead, and then takes off running back to his spot.

I narrow my eyes and say, "That's not fair, you distracted me!"

Aiden laughs and says innocently, "I said I'd do whatever I can. You have to stay on your toes."

I roll my eyes but have to laugh. We get set again, and as soon as Aiden starts moving I concentrate my energy on him. He braces himself against it though and doesn't fall. He pushes back against my efforts and starts slowly stepping toward me. Looking like he's in a wind tunnel, his hair and clothes are blowing backwards as he grits his teeth and keeps trudging forward. When he's within a few steps of me, I notice his cheeks are sort of jiggling in the wind and I can't suppress my giggles. Of course, as soon as I start laughing I lose my concentration and Aiden loses his balance. He comes flying at me with such force, that both of us are airborne for a second. Aiden quickly turns his body so he takes the brunt of the fall and I land on top of him.

We both erupt into laughter. It takes us a few minutes to get our breath back and eventually Aiden speaks asking, "So who get's that point? I did reach you, but I also ended up on the ground."

I think it over and say, "I guess we both get a point then. Six-Three?"

Aiden hops up and pulls me to my feet before agreeing, "Six-Three." He takes off to his spot again and I try to concentrate. When he comes at me this time, he looks like a kick returner competing against an invisible football team. He rolls out of my energy stream and darts left and right trying to evade me. I let him dance around a bit and hold back, and when he notices I've let up, he darts at me. As soon as he's on a straight path again, I send a burst of energy at him and knock flat on his back.

I do a little victory dance and he starts laughing at me. I skip over to him and offer a hand to help him up. Smiling merrily I say, "I'll let you chose which night you want to make my dinner." I give him a kiss on the cheek and say, "Good game."

He squeezes me into a hug and returns my kiss saying, "It was a good game, and you did really well. You're magic is really coming along. And once you find out what time you have to leave on Thursday, I'll decide which night to cook for you."

"So are we done with the training for today now?" I ask.

Aiden nods and says, "I think that's enough for today. I want to give you a book to read over though."

We walk back into the house and I put my pendant back in my purse while Aiden retrieves the book saying, "I'm not sure how to teach you how to teleport since I don't think it's something I would be able to do. But maybe if you read about it you can figure it out."

Oooh, I can learn to poof! That would be so cool! Aiden opens the book to the section on teleporting and sets it on the table. "Read over this section and see what you think. But don't try anything until I'm with you, just in case, ok?"

I'm a little disappointed that he wants me to wait to try anything, but I reluctantly agree. "Ok, I'll just read it, I won't try anything," I say with a bit of a pout.

Laughing Aiden says, "I just don't want anything to happen to you." He leans down and kisses my nose. "And your nose really feels ok?" he questions with concern.

I smile and say, "Yes, I think its fine. And if it does bruise I'll make sure Eric knows that I knocked you on you butt plenty of times to make up for it." We both laugh at that and I continue, "I have to get home to get ready for work though, so I should probably get going."

Aiden nods and wraps me up in his arms saying, "I really had fun today. And thanks for your help with the bookshelf."

I sigh and lean into his chest. "I had a lot of fun today too," I tell him. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much. Aiden has such a carefree way about him; I can't help but get sucked up in it. Being around him just makes me… well, happy.

I nuzzle into his chest a bit and just enjoy the feel of his embrace. I know I'm playing with fire here and I should just politely say goodbye and leave before I do something stupid, but I can't help myself. Aiden leans down and softly kisses my forehead. He brings his hands up to cup my face and steps back to look at me. I look in his eyes as I trace my hands over the contours of his torso and up to his strong shoulders. He leans in and kisses my cheekbone and along my jaw, I close my eyes and enjoy the sensation. Aiden softly brushes his lips against mine once before tracing along the other side of my face and ending with another gentle kiss on my nose. He lets out a sort of stuttered sigh and wraps his arms around my back as I slide my hands around his neck.

I stand up on my tiptoes and softly kiss his mouth once, then his cheek, then bury my head in his neck and murmur, "I have to go, Aiden." I reluctantly pull away and turn to gather my purse and book from the table. Once situated, Aiden grabs my free hand and walks me to my car.

He opens my car door and kisses my knuckles saying, "Goodbye, muirnín. Call me when you know about Thursday."

"I will," I say as I take my seat. "Bye Aiden," I call with a wave and pull out of the driveway.

I drive home in a happy daze. Once home, I quickly pull my hair into a ponytail and put on my black capris and Merlotte's t-shirt. I don't have much time before my shift, so I just grab a granola bar and bottle of water and bring it with me in the car.

While I'm driving into work my thoughts linger on my day with Aiden. I had an excellent time with him, and although I did have the pendant on for part of the day, I definitely felt something for him after I had taken it off. Granted I did struggle a bit with my self control even without it on, but I didn't give in and really kiss like the last time. I mull that over and wonder if it really has anything to do with the pendant or just my will power. Either way, today was great and I find myself really looking forward to my next day with Aiden.

I park around back in the employee lot and bounce up the stairs. I smile and say hello to Sam while I stash my purse and grab my apron. I head out to the bar and find Maddie who I'm taking over for.

"Well you're just all smiles tonight, aren't you," she says as I walk up to her.

I laugh and just shrug, "I'm having a good day."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with that McDreamy that's been hanging around here, would it?" she asks with an eyebrow wiggle.

I roll my eyes and give her an elbow poke, but avoid answering her question, and say "Why don't you just tell me about the tables?"

Maddie sulks a bit but fills me in on the tables before heading out. The night passes without incident, and I continue bopping around happily, until Jason comes in.

As soon as he walks in the door I know he's mad about something. I dip into his head to see what it is this time, and let out a sigh. He's somehow heard through the grapevine about my inheritance.

Jason makes a b-line for me and sits at the barstool in front of where I'm refilling a pitcher for a group of guys from Monroe. "Hi Jason," I say neutrally.

"Well hey there, sis, I'm glad I caught you when you're working. I heard you cut back your shifts so I wasn't sure you'd be in tonight," Jason says, trying to bait me into explaining.

"That's right, my new schedule doesn't start till next week though," I tell him, determined not to play his game.

"So did you get a new job? Come into some money? How come you don't have to work?" He asks.

I let out a frustrated sigh and say, "You already know the answer to that, Jason, so cut the crap. What do you want?"

Jason slams his fist down on the bar and says, "I wanna know what the hell makes you so much better than me, huh? First Uncle Bartlett leaves you everything and now this great grandfather who didn't even want to meet me?"

I shake my head and say, "I'm not any better than you Jason. And if you remember, I gave you all of what Uncle Bartlett left, I didn't keep any of it."

"And what about this time?" he questions.

That just gets my back up. As usual, Jason expects a handout. I honestly would have given him some of the money if he'd shown up and actually acted like a brother some time over these past few months, instead of only showing up when he's mad so he can yell at me about it. But now I'm just pissed off at him and don't even want to talk to him.

I finish filling the pitcher and storm off without answering him. He calls after me, "So that's it? You're a real shitty excuse for a sister, you know that Sookie?"

I spin back around and yell, "Jason Stackhouse, you don't even want to get me started on your record as a brother. Now get the hell out of here and let me work." I blink back my tears and drop the pitcher off at the table. Of course, at this point everyone in the bar is watching our exchange, but I try to keep my composure.

I knew he wouldn't leave that easily, and sure enough Jason's standing right in front of me when I turn around. He leans down and says, "I may not be the best brother, but at least none of our family ever got killed on my account."

That was too much; I can't keep the tears from falling. I turn to escape from the situation and run right into Sam. He wraps me up in his arms tucking me against his chest protectively then practically growls at Jason, "I think you've said enough, Jason. You need to leave. Now."

Jason starts to say something, but I can feel the rumble in Sam's chest as he cuts him off yelling, "Out!" Sam's not usually one to raise his voice, but right now he's practically shaking with anger. Jason must take the hint and leave because Sam pulls me toward his office and closes the door.

I flop into the chair and start sobbing. I can't believe he brought up Gran's death like that! Of course I always blamed myself, but to hear him say it, again, makes it a hundred times worse. And he probably doesn't even realize I'm the cause of more death's then just Gran's, as if one weren't bad enough. Uncle Bartlett and Claudine are both my fault too. Sam just rubs my back and lets me cry it out handing me tissues. When it seems I don't have any more tears, he puts a finger under my chin and tilts my face up to meet his gaze.

"I don't ever want to see you let something your idiot brother says upset you like this again. You understand me? He's a moron and he doesn't know what he's talking about. You've done everything you can for him and you don't owe him a thing." Sam looks at me sternly and I nod my head with a sniff.

"Why don't you take a break? If you want to head out then you can, but if you want to stay you'll go out there with your chin up. Ok, chere?" Sam asks and seems to be assessing my level of composure. I nod again and head outside to get some air.

After a few minutes outside and few more fixing my makeup in the bathroom, I'm good enough to continue working. The rest of the night goes by slowly, and I take special care to keep everyone's thoughts blocked out. I really don't need to hear what everyone thinks of Jason and my exchange.

Finally, the night ends and I make my way home. As I'm getting myself ready for bed, I think about how quickly my wonderful day turned sour. I had such a great time with Aiden and was practically giddy when I got to work, then in a matter of seconds Jason ruined my whole day. Determined not to let my happiness get overshadowed by Jason, I start recapping all the things that made me laugh when I was with Aiden today as I climb into bed. I let out a sigh, thinking how much simpler my life would be if I just left this all behind and moved to Monterey. I fall asleep and dream of seaside cliffs, horseback riding, and beautiful Pacific sunsets.


End file.
